Current York students prepare to go trick-or-treating circa 2012 (Photo courtesy of Jill Hansmann)
Current York students prepare to go trick-or-treating circa 2012

Photo courtesy of Jill Hansmann

Is Halloween losing hype?

October 30, 2019

Halloween is right around the corner; for some, this brings thoughts of parties and haunted houses, while for most it brings one of the greatest traditions of the year for young Americans: trick-or-treating. With trick-or-treating comes the debate on how young is too young to be dressing in a costume knocking on the door asking for candy. I set out to ask York students the controversial question: what age should kids stop treating? 

 

“I was twelve when I stopped trick-or-treating,” sophomore Bruce Duda said.

 

While some stop trick-or-treating at a young age, there are still those that continue to take advantage of Halloween festivities and free candy as they grow up.

 

“I still haven’t stopped trick-or-treating, and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon,” senior Roshan Hoffmann said.

 

This activity does not always fly with everyone, as there are people that are firmly against trick or treating after a certain age.

 

“Once you hit high school, that is the cut off for me [to keep trick-or-treating],” Campus Supervisor Chip Egan said. 

 

Unfortunately, there are people who never get the opportunity to trick-or-treat because of dangers in the community and cautious parents.

 

“[The] world’s different these days [compared to ours], parents are more worried about letting their kids [go trick-or-treating],” senior Angelina Panzeca said. 

 

As the years go on, based on the number of kids I have seen walking about the streets of Elmhurst, it seems the rate at which kids participate in trick-or-treating is dwindling. Whether it is no longer ‘cool’ amongst the kids or if it truly is losing hype is a debated topic.

 

“Yes [Halloween is losing hype] because we are older and it’s stupid when you are older,” freshman Hannah Blattner said. 

 

Despite some students sharing their sentiments that Halloween is losing its popularity, other students are Halloween lovers.

 

“[Halloween] is by far the best holiday, you carve pumpkins and get candy, can’t beat that,” senior Sydney Krueger said. 

 

Some are more invested in the spirit than others, but regardless there are ways everyone can participate in the Halloween festivities.

 

“Even if you don’t trick-or-treat there is always a lot to do. People throw parties, you can hand out candy, or you can carve a pumpkin. Everyone should have fun on Halloween,” senior Katie Czernik said. 

 

This Is York • Copyright 2024 • FLEX WordPress Theme by SNOLog in