Halloween is my
favorite holiday. After taking a few years off of
trick or treating I decided it was something that I really missed and was not quite ready to give up on. I went with a group of
friends and we had lots of
fun. Here is a set of
suggestions I would make if you don't think you are too
old to trick-or-treat. Don't buy in to the idea that
it's too late.
- Wear a costume. Not a lame one you threw together at the last minute, but a good one that you spent some time on. There are several reasons for this. First of all, trick or treating is not just about getting free candy, it is about assuming another identity under the cover of night. It's about saying something about yourself by being someone else. When you go up to a stranger's house, you do not just take away candy, you return their favor by imparting to them some of the magic of Halloween that you carry with you. If you don't make this much effort, you are missing the point entirely.
- Go out after the little kids are done. The reason for this is simple: some houses run out of candy. The children will be more disappointed than you will if they miss out on a house or two. Halloween is for the children and the young at heart, but the children should always come first. Conversely, you should also not go out too late. Many people are not so happy to be answering the door at 10 p.m. on a night where pranks are common.
- Choose your trick-or-treating area carefully. Some people are more understanding of older trick-or-treaters than others. I live in a college town where most of the residents are slightly amused by the antics of the students. Stick to areas that are usually considered safe and the people there pretty open-minded. This year we only ran into one person who was totally shocked at our "audacity" to be engaging in something usually reserved for children. We simply informed her that we were children at heart and that everything was strictly voluntary.
- Choose the houses you go to carefully. Some people say that if the front door light is on, it is okay to trick-or-treat there, others say there has to be a lit jack-o-lanterns. When I trick or treat I go by both rules. Being of a somewhat non-traditional age I think it is best to try especially hard not to disturb those who might not be fans of Halloween.
- Be Polite. Always say "Trick or Treat!" Always say "Thank-you!" (and mean it too) People who engage in the Halloween tradition and put up with strangers at their door all night deserve respect. You want to make the experience as enjoyable for them as you can. If people don't want to give you candy, or don't have any candy to give out, be polite to them too. Thank them for their time and apologize for wasting it. No one is required to give anything to you. I used these moments as opportunities for reverse trick-or-treating, and gave them candy out of my bag.
- Go in a group. For some reason it just seems like a good idea. Not a huge group (no one wants to open their door to twenty sugar-crazed twenty-something-year-olds), but a group of 4-7 people seems about right. There is safety in numbers.
- Have Fun!