To the editor:
“Trick or treat”–it’s more of a demand than a question. To some homeowners, it is looked upon as a bit of a threat, especially when it comes from someone their own age. Year after year there has been an ongoing controversy over the cutoff age at which it’s acceptable to decline someone for a Halloween sweet.
“Parents with children over the age of 13 should be at home (depending on the community) dishing out candy to young ones like the rest of us, not running around town collecting candy to satisfy the greed of themselves,” complained a neighborhood friend last Halloween.
Little children are in their prime cuteness from the toddler stage all the way up until the beginning of their middle school days. The bright glowing faces of little princesses, superheroes, witches, and ghosts looking up at you upon your doorstep melt your heart as you drop a miniature candy bar into their trick or treat bags. But as the costumes get skimpier, and sloppier, and the kids get taller, and ruder, the charm quickly wears off. So the real question is: how old is TOO old to trick or treat?
They’ve been having this debate in Belleville, IL, where they took the topic a bit more seriously than anyone in Pratt County has. They passed a law, which banned any kid who has finished eighth grade from going door to door to hit people up for candy. The offense is punishable by a $25 fine assessed against the parents who allow this sort of behavior.
A recent article in the Washington Post got a split response on the issue. Half of the participants stated that once you’re a teen and out of middle school, you are old enough to buy your own candy, and to stay off of their doorsteps. Whilst the other half claimed that if you dress up, and have the Halloween spirit, they would fill up your bag with candy just as they would any other dressed up trick-or-treaters.
If you’re a candy-aholic and have a sweet obsession with Halloween candy but don’t want to deal with the hassle of a costume and getting kicked off of porches because of your age, my personal suggestion to you would be to hit up Wal-Mart and Dillons’ “day after Halloween” sales. Candy is 50-75 percent off, so they are basically GIVING it to you, no costume or cheesy line required.
Lindsey Mitchell
