“If you are over the age of 17, and I see you on my doorstep on Halloween night, I am assuming two things about you: one, you do not have a social life, and two, you are deprived of sugar in your household,” said Kim.

 However, when Claremont High School senior Gabrielle Kim was asked when she last went trick-or-treating, Kim hesitantly replied, “Last year.”

As the leaves begin to turn brown and Pumpkin Spice Chai becomes the number one ordered drink, millions of teens are forced to confront a seasonal debate, one that is necessary to face once hitting adolescence: How old is too old to be trick-or-treating? Should older teens give up door knocking locally, leaving the candy-collecting to the younger kids, or should they continue as they please? 

Rachel Yuan, a Claremont High School senior, agreed with Kim. “No, it is honestly selfish that teens would even consider taking candy from kids,” Yuan said. “Teens have licenses and should be able to drive to get their own candy.” Being that licences are a luxury that kids do not have.

Some think that the answer is obvious, others, like Kim, are not so sure. Mark Batres, an eighth grader at El Roble Intermediate School, believes that trick-or-treating should not be constrained to an age limit.

“I think anyone who wants to trick-or-treat should be able to, without being judged,” Batres said. Batres added that Halloween is a holiday meant to be celebrated by all who want to, in whichever way makes them the happiest. Age barriers should not be factored into the decision as to who gets to trick-or-treat. Whether or not one trick-or-treats is up to the candy collectors themselves. Luca Garcia, a like-minded student at Claremont High School, who has been trick-or-treating for the past 17 years, gave his opinion. “As long as there are king-sized candy bars, you will catch me trick or treating,” Garcia said.