Halloween is a national holiday. Everyone dresses up for Halloween, but until they reach a certain age, then they buy candy for themselves and hand it out to sticky kids. So, that begs the question: When is too old for Halloween? To understand how old you have to be to still go to Halloween and dress up and beg for candy. Let’s know the origin.

     Halloween started 2,000 years ago in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Where they would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off the ghosts or in other words, evil spirits. Pope Gregory the Third designated November 1st as a day to celebrate all saints. Soon all saints day incorporated some of the traditions of the Samhain. The evening before was called all Hallows Eve. But like everything Halloween also evolved and became a day of activities like; trick or treating, carving pumpkins into jack-o ‘- lanterns, festive gatherings, wearing costumes, and eating candy until you barf. Halloween in ancient times was to date the end of summer and the harvest and begin the dark, cold winter, the tie that was associated with human death. The Celtic believed and I think the Hispanics, Puerto Ricans and etc. Still believe that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31st, they celebrated Samhain. When it is believed that the ghosts of the dead would return to the earth.

     I love Halloween, but when I was 16 I was told that I couldn’t trick or treat. I was devastated, who wants to hand out candy to children and see kids who are the same age as you have fun and yet you can’t do it. How sad is that? I think if you drink, the legal age to drink in Massachusetts is 21 but also if you’re under 25 cause that’s the middle age from a young adult to an old adult you should probably stop trick or treating. But I think trick or treating is a right and a choice, like believing in Santa. I think I have the right to still believe in Santa.

     If you have kids, or dogs you can definitely go trick or treating. Or you can just ask nicely for candy. My point is if you are of legal drinking age then probably candy and alcohol is not the best choice. But also you are only 18 once and you’re only 21 once. When will you have the chance to be a child again? Kids shouldn’t be growing up too fast, and we should spend as much time trick or treating or believing in Santa as long as we’re still kids. Because after high school we go to work or college and you’re an adult. Your childhood is officially over. 

Happy Halloween.

     “Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows’ Eve.”. 

——–Ray