People of all ages were out trick-or-treating last week on Thursday, Oct. 31, for Beggars Night. Leading up to the holiday some Norwalk students think that there is a point where you become too old to trick-or-treat.
“I won’t be going trick-or-treating this year,” said Norwalk High School senior Keegan Johnson. “I feel like it would be a little odd for me to go since I’m 18 and a legal adult now.”
Johnson says that he believes there is a social norm for the proper trick-or-treating age.
“I think 14 years old is probably when it starts to become less popular to go,” said Johnson. “I think that’s kind of standard for what you’d see on Beggars Night.”
Junior Brayden Plourde said he won’t be trick-or-treating this year either.
“I think I’m too old for it at this point,” said Plourde. “I’d rather just sit at home and hand out candy to the kids in my neighborhood.”
Plourde said the stigma of being too old becomes relevant later in middle school.
“7th and 8th grade is when people start to stay home more,” said Plourde. “Once you get into high school it is thought of as childish to still go trick-or-treating.”
Senior Tyler Stanford believes that 17-year-olds may be too old to go trick-or-treating.
“I won’t be going this year,” said Stanford. “I feel like it would be a little childish and just I’m too old to be doing that at 17 years old.”
Stanford says he would rather go to a party instead of trick-or-treating.
“Me and some of my friends will be having a party,” said Stanford. “Just all of us hanging out and having fun. We’ll be eating lots and might play some video games.”
Hunter Newberg, another senior here at Norwalk High School, said he will not be going trick-or-treating this year. He said he feels like he has outgrown it and would rather spend time hanging out with his friends.
“I’d say around 16 is probably the upper limit for most people,” said Newberg. “At that age, people are usually focused on different things, and they start looking at Halloween more as a time for hanging out or going to events rather than trick-or-treating itself.”
