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How Old Is Too Old To Trick or Treat?
Every year my husband and I discuss this very subject. I have no problem for kids of all ages to dress up and go get free candy! Even BIG kids who turn into adults the next day. He doesn't think that anyone out of elementary school should go.
So what is your opinion?
So what is your opinion?
I stopped at 13. That's when I started either taking the little cousins around our grandma's neighborhood or passing out the candy. Now...we take our boys. It's fun and the older folks around my in-laws love seeing all the kids that come out in their costumes. No religious implications for us...just fun. We carve pumpkins, watch scary movies, decorate the house all scary and just have fun with it. We're pretty big with all the holidays...none more than halloween, christmas and the 4th. Fun times with friends and family.
Funny how the Americans are so big on Hallowe'en (yes I spelled it correctly!) Not trying to be picking on anyone, just an observation, how a Pagan mixed with a Christian event can be convoluted into something about sweets and costumes!
The original time of this event was to do with the bringing in the harvest prior to the cold dark depths of winter. Many also believed it was a time (this being the Christian part) of the night before All Soul's Day when the dearly dropped dead would forget they were no longer available for a pint of apple cider and a chat about the neighbours, and come to spook the quite able bodied harvester people (as such!).
Now it became apparent somewhere along the dark recesses of time to build a bonfire to scare away the previously fore mentioned white sheeted scary folks. Alas! This would bring on many insects attracted to the fire light and then the bats would start to think, WOOHOO....McHallowe'en delights! and stuff themselves silly in feasting on high protein. Of course, the superstitious believed this was an omen, nay! A portent! Of evil to come! We must banish these poor begotten spirits to the nether world! Let us create light to scare them away (the ghosts, not the bats. By now the bats were filled up to the gizzards enough they could barely walk let alone fly!)
So,how to keep that candle burning through out a cold and chilly strong wind that portends to bring calamity, and snuff out at the least breeze? Ta-Da! Enter yon round and plump pumpkin! Hard shell, soft interior...ok if you have the strength of Hercules to carve the blessed thing in the first place, you get a nice little niche to store a lit wax-light! How clever!
Meanwhile back in the land of the poor scaredy cat kin, they just KNOW that being All Soul's Day in the morrow they had best pray and be good and accept that this night is Hallowed, yay indeed a special night, a special evening, a special e'en.
Once they awake and take the last of the overgorged bats back to the belfry, stomp on the last of the ashes, and then use them as fertiliser ( the ashes, not the bats! Please keep up!), the simple towns folk, then are happy that the pumpkin blight or the silver polka dotted lemmings curse has not befallen them this year, go about their business, and pray that next Harvest could at least involve a little dancing.
Ahem... cough... I digress..............In Australia, we don't have Fall/Autumn at the same time as the US. For us we are coming in to Summer time....so it really loses it's meaning here. I was in US last year around Hallowe'en (yes, I am a bug bear for traditional spelling!) and I was caught up in the whole mood. I have a Scottish friend who will you, the whole Trick or Treat meaning has been lost. Kids assume they will get lollies (candy) here in Australia. She says to them...No give me a trick...The kids look blankly, then she shuts the door. It is supposes to be that when the kids say Trick or Treat, it's meant to be a CHOICE! If the kids sing a song or do a trick they get rewarded, not automatically given a sweet. So hence, most Aussies see what they see on US movies and think...Nope, not for us! Most Aussies (not all!!!!!!!!!!) are pretty Anti-American and hate the whole Pumpkin, Boo, trick or treat stuff.
The original time of this event was to do with the bringing in the harvest prior to the cold dark depths of winter. Many also believed it was a time (this being the Christian part) of the night before All Soul's Day when the dearly dropped dead would forget they were no longer available for a pint of apple cider and a chat about the neighbours, and come to spook the quite able bodied harvester people (as such!).
Now it became apparent somewhere along the dark recesses of time to build a bonfire to scare away the previously fore mentioned white sheeted scary folks. Alas! This would bring on many insects attracted to the fire light and then the bats would start to think, WOOHOO....McHallowe'en delights! and stuff themselves silly in feasting on high protein. Of course, the superstitious believed this was an omen, nay! A portent! Of evil to come! We must banish these poor begotten spirits to the nether world! Let us create light to scare them away (the ghosts, not the bats. By now the bats were filled up to the gizzards enough they could barely walk let alone fly!)
So,how to keep that candle burning through out a cold and chilly strong wind that portends to bring calamity, and snuff out at the least breeze? Ta-Da! Enter yon round and plump pumpkin! Hard shell, soft interior...ok if you have the strength of Hercules to carve the blessed thing in the first place, you get a nice little niche to store a lit wax-light! How clever!
Meanwhile back in the land of the poor scaredy cat kin, they just KNOW that being All Soul's Day in the morrow they had best pray and be good and accept that this night is Hallowed, yay indeed a special night, a special evening, a special e'en.
Once they awake and take the last of the overgorged bats back to the belfry, stomp on the last of the ashes, and then use them as fertiliser ( the ashes, not the bats! Please keep up!), the simple towns folk, then are happy that the pumpkin blight or the silver polka dotted lemmings curse has not befallen them this year, go about their business, and pray that next Harvest could at least involve a little dancing.
Ahem... cough... I digress..............In Australia, we don't have Fall/Autumn at the same time as the US. For us we are coming in to Summer time....so it really loses it's meaning here. I was in US last year around Hallowe'en (yes, I am a bug bear for traditional spelling!) and I was caught up in the whole mood. I have a Scottish friend who will you, the whole Trick or Treat meaning has been lost. Kids assume they will get lollies (candy) here in Australia. She says to them...No give me a trick...The kids look blankly, then she shuts the door. It is supposes to be that when the kids say Trick or Treat, it's meant to be a CHOICE! If the kids sing a song or do a trick they get rewarded, not automatically given a sweet. So hence, most Aussies see what they see on US movies and think...Nope, not for us! Most Aussies (not all!!!!!!!!!!) are pretty Anti-American and hate the whole Pumpkin, Boo, trick or treat stuff.
A few years ago, back in my senior year of high school, a few friends and I went trick or treating. Two friends and I had simple costumes and another friend(JT) didn't wear one. When a neighbor had asked what his(JT) costume was, he said he was a hungry high school student! lol. He got candy, too. I don't think there is really a cut off age, as long as they aren't out trying to cause trouble.
I agree totally with Cloud, its never too late to enjoy the night dress up and have some haunting fun..............however IMO elementary age should be a cut off, to go house to house.... the free candy is for the young ones with parents along for safety reasons.
Some of the older ones don't even bother dressing up....for them its for the free handouts and in some cases vandalism...........egging houses, soaping vehicles/house windows...........burning straw bales out on the farms and many other destructive behaviors.
Here in Canada some communities have banned halloween for this reason, instead they do a dress up party and candy hand out in the evenings for elementary children.
Halloween should be all about the fun and excitement for young children and nothing else!!
Some of the older ones don't even bother dressing up....for them its for the free handouts and in some cases vandalism...........egging houses, soaping vehicles/house windows...........burning straw bales out on the farms and many other destructive behaviors.
Here in Canada some communities have banned halloween for this reason, instead they do a dress up party and candy hand out in the evenings for elementary children.
Halloween should be all about the fun and excitement for young children and nothing else!!
I dont think your ever too old to celebrate but ya might wanna be careful if going out dressed up to collect candy for two hours with no children. I mean, the rest of the parents might be giving you that perv look! Otherwise, come one come all! And great fun it is!
ROFL i dont think your too old to do the whole Halloween thing i just think the rules change
with age. When you hit a certain age i dont think you should be walking about asking for candy should you dress up hell yea, should you throw a party or have a haunted house why not! I just think the rules change i would want a grown man walking around kids in a costume unless he had his kids with him. When my father use to come with us he was just there to watch us he got dress up and followed us around the n he would steal some of our candy later. He would go well you can have half now... aaaaaa the good times cheack to make sure the candy was safe and such.
with age. When you hit a certain age i dont think you should be walking about asking for candy should you dress up hell yea, should you throw a party or have a haunted house why not! I just think the rules change i would want a grown man walking around kids in a costume unless he had his kids with him. When my father use to come with us he was just there to watch us he got dress up and followed us around the n he would steal some of our candy later. He would go well you can have half now... aaaaaa the good times cheack to make sure the candy was safe and such.
Guy Fawkes Day,
I like to see them just haveing fun, last year was great I was at my other house and there were tons of kiddleywinks living there, well we had tons, I thought I was going to run out of candy, even though I had got a couple of spare bags ...the costumes were great, even my family in UK have trick or treat now even though its an American custom , they have bonfire night Nov 5th where they burn an effigy of a man who tried to blow up the government ,well the houses of Parliment .lol excuse my gurgle, The older kids seem to grab a big handful of candy and the little children take less ..we sat outside in the drive to get full atmosphere.love it....
We don't celabrate thanksgiving either,our big celebration is Australia Day on January 26th that commemorates the landing of the first fleet at Botany Bay in 1776.This was when the first convicts were transported here many were sent here for ridiculous crimes like stealing a loaf of bread,prostitution or even hunting game on private property.A lot of convicts were set free after a while and that's why we were called a penal colony.So we have come a long way in 234 years.
That is interesting about Australia. It's so long standing here------- I have some good childhood memories of trick or treating. Around me, just about every house decorates for it and there are neighborhood parties after trick or treat time. I don't think it has all that much meaning either----------- just a good time. You are sweet to keep some candy on hand for those little ones who do show up at your door. In the states there is a code------ if you are not participating--------- you turn off your front door light.
Growing up in Australia in the 60s and 70s we didn't celebrate halloween,I didn't let my children go trick or treating either even though some had started doing it here by the late 80s and early 90s,it is just something that wasn't done in this country and I don't believe it's right to suddenly celebrate something that has no meaning.
Now it seems that a lot of children are trick or treating I do keep stuff here just in case a child turns up,I wouldn't want to disappoint them because of my beliefs,My grandson won't be trick or treating,and his parents agree with me.
Now it seems that a lot of children are trick or treating I do keep stuff here just in case a child turns up,I wouldn't want to disappoint them because of my beliefs,My grandson won't be trick or treating,and his parents agree with me.
Ha! What a great poll and question! I say they can trick or treat at any age as long as they make a little effort and at least put on a wig or something! I mean--------- I give them props for the courage to do it----------- I'm not going to turn them away! I'm a holiday girl and enjoy anyone that gets into the spirit . . . even if it is only for free candy!
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