There is an unspoken rule that as children grow older, they are expected to eventually stop trick-or-treating on Halloween night.
While some teenagers naturally “grow out” of trick-or-treating, others rely on age guidelines or even laws set in place to prevent people of a certain age from participating in the tradition.
Despite this, Halloween remains a celebration that many people continue to enjoy, regardless of their age. While children and teenagers may associate Halloween with treat-or-treating first and foremost, older people who continue to enjoy Halloween typically find ways to adapt their holiday celebrations as they grow up. So, how did Brock University students spend their Halloween night?
“My Halloween was pretty fun,” said Sami Jo Phillips, a second-year psychology student. “I had a little movie night with my roommates, but I completely forgot to buy a costume. It was planned that everyone would be in their costumes, but I completely forgot, so I threw a costume together in the 30 seconds I had before we started watching movies,” said Phillips.
While it is true that trick-or-treaters typically stop going door-to-door as they get older, certain remnants of the tradition remain part of their Halloween celebrations as they grow up.
Continuing to wear costumes to keep the Halloween spirit alive is an excellent example of this. It is not uncommon for adults to participate in costume parties and contests of their own, even though there are no signs of trick-or-treating in sight.
However, not every student found themselves enjoying movie nights and costume parties on Halloween night. Others found that their course workload prevented any such festivities from taking place.
“I spent Halloween reviewing assignments, doing weekly homework and going to bed early,” said Haley McDougall, a second-year concurrent education student. “A lot of the social aspects that university students are stereotypically involved in, like going to clubs or bars, I find a hard time doing because I constantly find myself at home doing homework or readings.”
With so much work to complete, many people may find it difficult to find time to take part in any sort of spooky celebration.
Halloween is a celebration that means a lot of different things to different people. While some may only see it as “that time of year where you trick-or-treat,” others find new ways to make this spooky season special – assuming, of course, that their workload allows it.
