The older we get, the more societal pressure we run into, especially when it comes to expressing ourselves and having fun. Halloween is no exception to this. As kids grow up, they become less inclined to dress up, trick-or-treat, or celebrate the holiday. But is this because their childhood light is fading, or is it because they are being told they’re “too old” to have fun? 

The Whit staff believes that fun has no age limit, and neither does Halloween. You can dress up at any age. You can throw Halloween parties at any age. You can have a Halloween movie marathon at any age. Fun is encouraged at every age.

Beth Cimaglia, Editor-in-Chief: I was told by many adults that I was too old to go trick-or-treating at 13 years old. Granted, there is an age where trick-or-treating becomes less fun. However, I also see adults not engaging in Halloween activities because they think they’re too old to have fun. It makes me so happy to see the 30 and 40-year-olds in my life still having Halloween-themed events and dressing up in full costume. They’re so creative, and it seems like they’re having more fun than some of the kids. I think in general, the world needs to lighten up. There’s a trend on TikTok right now where people post a random video, and the caption is “girl, whatever.” The message here is that life isn’t always that deep. There are very serious and very real things happening that should be taken seriously. But sometimes we take the little things and give way too much weight to them. Burnout is a real thing, and I have found that picking up an old favorite hobby in my free time has been the best way for me to take time for myself. Self-care isn’t always bubble baths and pedicures. It can also be doing something for your inner child. 

So, my challenge to you, whoever may be reading this, is to pick up something your younger self used to do for fun. Did you enjoy painting? Break out the paint brushes and acrylics. Did you like dancing? Take a dance class. You’d be surprised how much doing these small things for ourselves can make a world of difference. Take a minute, don’t take yourself so seriously. Buy a bubble wand. Buy a cheap rock mining kit at a craft store, and host a wine night with the girls. Tie-dye some t-shirts with your friends. And I implore you, if you enjoy Halloween, enjoy it. Don’t let anyone tell you you are “too old” for anything, ever. 

Katie Thorn, Managing Editor: Growing up, fall was always my favorite time of the year. Dressing as my favorite Monster High doll and looking for my parents at my school’s Halloween Parade became my favorite fall-time tradition. As I’ve grown up, my love for the spooky spirit has remained the same, but there has been an expectation that people my age shouldn’t dress up anymore because we are “too old.” 

Like many other holidays, Halloween doesn’t have to have an age limit. Halloween is such a fun time, and not just for kids. Dressing up and eating as much candy as possible is something that anyone can enjoy, no matter the age. Halloween time can be one when adults tap into their inner child and express themselves through fun, festive costumes.  

Chris Otto, News and Photography Editor: By the time I turned 16, I started debating whether or not I was too old to go trick-or-treating at Halloween. I personally feel like that’s the age for a lot of people in their teens, where they start to question what things from their childhood they’ve become too old for and what they still feel is socially acceptable to interact with at older ages. The only problem for me was that I turned 16 a couple of days before Halloween in 2020, which just so happened to be in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Halloween that year was a really weird experience due to a lot of people being unsure of how to go about trick-or-treating. I specifically recall seeing headlines and news clips about people creating candy delivery chutes out of PVC pipes so that children wouldn’t have to come close to their doorsteps.

By my senior year of high school, one year later, I felt like I actually was too old to go trick-or-treating, specifically because I was afraid of being considered “too childish” by my peers. That feeling just might be universal for adolescents, being in such a hurry to grow up and abandon their youth. But now, as a freshly turned 21-year-old, I realize that it shouldn’t matter how old you get. You should always feel like you can tap into your inner child, especially on a holiday like Halloween, where you’re free to let your imagination run wild. We should never feel like we’re too old to enjoy the things that heal our inner child. Buy that stuffed animal in the store that you think is adorable, watch the TV shows and movies that made your childhood, and most importantly, dress up for Halloween and enjoy the holiday in whatever safe manner that you see fit.

Marchella Mazzoni, Features Editor: Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays; it’s definitely right up there, close to Christmas. Since I can remember, I’ve always done the same thing for Halloween. Every year when the holiday comes around, I ask my friends what they are wearing, plan group costumes, and prepare for the festivities. 

From being 13 years old to 20, my best friends and I still plan group costumes and go out each year. Even though I stopped trick-or-treating in high school, the Halloween spirit has never left me. I think everyone should embrace their inner child this Halloween and dress up with their best friends, too. 

Mattie Mac Kay, Arts & Entertainment Editor: As someone that has always worn what I wanted, acted as I felt, and never cared about what others thought or said about me, Halloween feels like a normal day in my world. Being a kid, I lived this same sentiment, and when I was younger people would try to tone me down, and It worked for a little while. But I am insufferably persistent, and have always felt that if you are not being who you are, you’re literally wasting your life. So this Halloween, yes dress however your heart desires, and act however you feel. That’s a mindset you should maintain in your daily life. Never let anyone dim your shine and always be unapologetically you, because you are loved for the person you are everyday, Not the person you pretend to be on October 31. 

Lily Miller, Opinion Editor: By the end of middle school, my mom thought I was too old for trick or treating. So, I stopped doing it once I started high school, and started doing something else instead. 

That something else was sitting at home giving candy out to trick or treaters who were undoubtedly much older than I, including adults, some not even chaperoning children. Now, that isn’t to say I didn’t have fun. I loved giving out candy, especially heaping scoopfuls when the night wore on and trick or treaters wore thin. 

But, why did I need to stop so soon? I was just a kid, albeit a tall one. 

I don’t think I had to. I think at college we learn that the fun goes on, or at least that’s my takeaway from the five themed parties I RSVPed for and the nonstop events that cater to us like we’re children. 

Bring on the paint n sips, the pumpkin painting, the candy. I didn’t stop loving candy when I stopped trick or treating, I just stopped getting it for free from strangers. Thankfully, college is a reprieve from the real world that tells me if I want candy I should probably buy it. I will continue letting loose even after I graduate, and I will continue treating holidays as an opportunity to harness my inner kid, that girl who wanted to trick or treat but couldn’t.

Sarah Shockey, Sports Editor: My favorite part about Halloween as a kid was watching fall-themed TV shows after trick-or-treating. My sister Grace and I would always watch the “Summerween” episode of Gravity Falls and “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.” After that, we’d sometimes throw in the Disney Channel original movie “Girl vs. Monster.” 

Even though it was just the two of us sitting in a quiet room watching something together, you could feel how special the moment was. I’ll always romanticize those nights we spent together after hours of trekking around our neighborhood for candy. Even if we went with our own separate friend groups, we reunited late at night to watch those comfort shows and movies together.

My sister and I haven’t trick-or-treated together in a long time. We don’t watch any TV or movies on Halloween night either. Our busy schedules, her in her senior year of high school and me as a junior in college, have us living two separate lives.

Growing up is a weird feeling, especially when it distances you from your sibling. We’ll never be those kids again watching our Halloween classics together, but we’ll forever look back fondly on the nights that made our childhood Halloween’s so incredible. While our tradition may have ended, the bond we share never will.

Cailtin Schad, Social Media Editor: Halloween is the one time of year when you can be whoever you want to be without anyone questioning you. When we were little, the best part would be walking into a Spirit Halloween with your parents and picking out a costume from the gigantic wall above you. There was always magic being transformed into wherever you decided. Trick or treating wasn’t just about who collected the most candy; it was about watching everyone around you and seeing how fun their costumes really were. In my experience, I feel that once we pass middle school, it is frowned upon to go trick-or-treating because we are “too old.”That was when many of us lost the magic of Halloween. While we still dress up, it isn’t the same as it was when we knocked on doors to say Trick or Treat! 

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