"Still, any person found trick-or-treating after 8 p.m. could be guilty of a misdemeanor, as could “anyone older than 12 or beyond seventh grade found trick-or-treating” in Virginia cities like...
"Still, any person found trick-or-treating after 8 p.m. could be guilty of a misdemeanor, as could “anyone older than 12 or beyond seventh grade found trick-or-treating” in Virginia cities like Newport and Norfolk."
It's a shame, anyone older than 12 is probably a little self-conscious about trick or treating already. I don't think it is right to pressure kids to grow out of it at the same time... that's mildly fascist. Anybody has a right to participate, and anyone has a right to refuse. Other issues surrounding this need to be treated separately.
i feel like this is the obvious answer to anybody who actually thinks about it, lol. (also honestly it's wild to me that there are places basically trying to legislate how old you can be to...
i feel like this is the obvious answer to anybody who actually thinks about it, lol.
(also honestly it's wild to me that there are places basically trying to legislate how old you can be to trick-or-treat since like... is it really that big of a deal? are we gonna die if there are a couple of 16 or 19 year olds interspersed with the dozens of small children ready to take all your candy?)
This reminds me of a situation I was in a few months ago. Recently San Francisco opened up some new really awesome play structures on the lawn of the capital building. My family and I were there...
This reminds me of a situation I was in a few months ago. Recently San Francisco opened up some new really awesome play structures on the lawn of the capital building. My family and I were there for a stage play, and naturally, some of us went to try to play on them, because they looked awesome. It was my cousin, 26, me, 20, and my sister, 17. Immediately, we got kicked off my security. Apparently there is an age limit on having fun at a playground. I didn't pay the city taxes to build it, so I couldn't complain too much, but if my city ever tries anything like that, I will definitely be writing my representatives.
I'm sorry, but if some 60-year-old man turns up on my doorstep asking for free lollies, he's going to get a very frosty reception. Even a 20-year-old is probably going to get told to push off. The...
I'm sorry, but if some 60-year-old man turns up on my doorstep asking for free lollies, he's going to get a very frosty reception. Even a 20-year-old is probably going to get told to push off.
The only reason I wouldn't say the same thing to young children asking for free lollies is because I know they don't know any better. But teenagers and adults should know better than to go asking for free stuff at their neighbours' houses.
It's a cute tradition, what do you mean they don't "know better"? You speak as if this is an annoyance we must put up with from young children. Is trick-or-treating just not as common in Australia...
It's a cute tradition, what do you mean they don't "know better"? You speak as if this is an annoyance we must put up with from young children. Is trick-or-treating just not as common in Australia or something?
Isn't it? You want a quiet night in, but instead you've got a steady stream of children turning up at your door asking for lollies. No. It seems to be slowly increasing in popularity but it's...
You speak as if this is an annoyance we must put up with from young children.
Isn't it? You want a quiet night in, but instead you've got a steady stream of children turning up at your door asking for lollies.
Is trick-or-treating just not as common in Australia or something?
No. It seems to be slowly increasing in popularity but it's still far from common.
Why is it that we seem so hell bent on adopting so much of American culture? That was a rhetorical question. I know why. Money. It has nothing to do with the origins of a festival or belief and everything to do with retailers realising they can insert another spending bonanza into our calendar.
Halloween is not an Australian tradition at all. We never had harvest festivals here, and we never marked the religious All Hallows' Day here. Halloween, and the "trick or treat" phenomenon associated with it, is something we're gradually importing from America because we watch so many American movies and shows, and because retailers want to sell us more stuff. But it's not an Aussie tradition.
Luckily, I've never actually had any children turn up at my door. But, I've mostly lived in apartments for the past decade. When I did live in a house, I came home one year to find my front fence...
Luckily, I've never actually had any children turn up at my door. But, I've mostly lived in apartments for the past decade. When I did live in a house, I came home one year to find my front fence had been egged.
I have seen occasional small groups of trick-or-treaters out & about sometimes. I figure it's only a matter of time until one of these groups decides to come to the house I'm currently living in.
I only learned that there were supposed "rules" about outside lights last year (and I learned it from Americans online, not from other Aussies). As I said, this is not an Aussie tradition. Trick or treating just wasn't a thing for us when I was a kid 30-40 years ago. It's a recent import, so I assume most Aussies don't know this rule about whether their light should be on or off.
Couldn't agree more. The Americanisation of our culture is really depressing. Meanwhile you're instantly labeled as racist if you try and have any pride around our own culture. I don't actually...
Couldn't agree more. The Americanisation of our culture is really depressing. Meanwhile you're instantly labeled as racist if you try and have any pride around our own culture. I don't actually personally get effected by the latter (as I don't really have an allegiance to any specific culture, coming from a mix of many in my family), but it's still a bit ridiculous watching it play out in the media and through friends.
Halloween shouldn't be a thing here. Simple. The idea that I could have my house egged because I didn't give out free lollies for a holiday we don't even have in our country is ludicrous, but it happens now.
Small difference of experience - harvest festivals can be common in some farm areas, but they tend to just be bonfires and BBQs. But Halloween? That's a new thing, and god-awful, to be honest.
We never had harvest festivals here
Small difference of experience - harvest festivals can be common in some farm areas, but they tend to just be bonfires and BBQs.
But Halloween? That's a new thing, and god-awful, to be honest.
Bit of both, in my very limited experience. Though, the festivals around October tended to be somewhat Wiccan in nature, and they are well outside the average Australian culture.
Bit of both, in my very limited experience. Though, the festivals around October tended to be somewhat Wiccan in nature, and they are well outside the average Australian culture.
I have a roommate who trick-or-treats every year. He's in his mid-40's. The thing is he mostly only does so in our neighbourhood, where mostly everyone already knows him. We don't get many kids in...
I have a roommate who trick-or-treats every year. He's in his mid-40's. The thing is he mostly only does so in our neighbourhood, where mostly everyone already knows him. We don't get many kids in our neighbourhood, but everyone ends up buying a 50-pack of candy anyway. So, we usually only end up getting 2-4 groups of trick-or-treaters on an average halloween and most of it just gets eaten by adults anyway. He says around 80% of people are happy to see him and give him candy. The rest tell him to fuck off, usually in no uncertain terms.
I'm sitting in class waiting for things to start and two of my 20-22ish classmates are talking about their trick-or-treating plans so if these guys are anything to go off of, those kids still got...
I'm sitting in class waiting for things to start and two of my 20-22ish classmates are talking about their trick-or-treating plans so if these guys are anything to go off of, those kids still got at least a decade left.
If you're willing to put some effort into a costume and knock on doors, you deserve a little candy. I think the oldest I've given out candy to is around 16 or 17, though. Really, though, even if...
If you're willing to put some effort into a costume and knock on doors, you deserve a little candy. I think the oldest I've given out candy to is around 16 or 17, though. Really, though, even if they don't have a costume they still get candy. No use spoiling their fun.
For me, the last year I went was when I was 12, and only because a buddy of mine insisted that we go. We only did one side of a block on the way to a party.
My son broke my wife’s heart this year when he said he wasn’t dressing up or going trick or treating. He’s almost 12. My daughter who is 14 is having a party at our house and has informed her...
My son broke my wife’s heart this year when he said he wasn’t dressing up or going trick or treating. He’s almost 12. My daughter who is 14 is having a party at our house and has informed her guests they are all going so make sure to wear shoes they can walk in.
It shouldn't be illegal at any age. That sort of law strikes me as a thin veneer of justification to allow cops to selectively harass young adults on Halloween. The age at which it becomes weird /...
It shouldn't be illegal at any age. That sort of law strikes me as a thin veneer of justification to allow cops to selectively harass young adults on Halloween.
The age at which it becomes weird / "aren't you a bit old for that?" is when you have sufficient spending money of your own that you can just go to the store and buy candy.
That's just ridiculous. While it might be foolish and silly (and possibly rude) to go knocking on neighbours' doors asking for free lollies, it shouldn't be criminalised. Not by a long shot.
CBS News reported that “Virginia city threatens trick-or-treaters over the age of 12 with jail time to thwart Halloween mischief.” Chesapeake is actually “threatening jail time for Halloween troublemakers over 12 years old.”
That's just ridiculous. While it might be foolish and silly (and possibly rude) to go knocking on neighbours' doors asking for free lollies, it shouldn't be criminalised. Not by a long shot.
I certainly don't think anyone should be charged with a crime for trick-or-treating. I think 12 or 13 is a good cutoff point for what age is 'okay.' I don't want to get too deep into semantics,...
I certainly don't think anyone should be charged with a crime for trick-or-treating. I think 12 or 13 is a good cutoff point for what age is 'okay.'
I don't want to get too deep into semantics, but I think there is an age where trick-or-treating is play and an age where any event is social. I think at the point where an event is social, it engenders a more mature environment. Trick-or-treating is kind of a silly thing that's fun for kids, but kind of weird for adults. If a group of adolescents go trick-or-treating, they are doing it more to hang out with one another and not to play with other children.
Of course none of that actually matters because everyone is going to define trick-or-treating differently.
I think there's a clear definition for this. If you're knocking on other people's doors asking for candy/lollies, then you're trick-or-treating. If you're not knocking on other people's doors,...
everyone is going to define trick-or-treating differently.
I think there's a clear definition for this. If you're knocking on other people's doors asking for candy/lollies, then you're trick-or-treating. If you're not knocking on other people's doors, then you're just hanging out with your friends on Halloween.
personally I think if you're over 16 it gets a bit weird in the USA at least. Sure if someone came to my door I'd still give em candy, but the last year I personally tricker treated was around 15,...
personally I think if you're over 16 it gets a bit weird in the USA at least. Sure if someone came to my door I'd still give em candy, but the last year I personally tricker treated was around 15, and I was escorting my younger brothers and sisters. I don't really think there should be a maximum age, but it definitely gets taboo once you're basically an adult going around asking for free candy.
Then again, who am I to judge if the person at the door is 14 or 18, it can honestly be hard to tell sometimes. It definitely shouldn't be a legislated thing.
"Still, any person found trick-or-treating after 8 p.m. could be guilty of a misdemeanor, as could “anyone older than 12 or beyond seventh grade found trick-or-treating” in Virginia cities like Newport and Norfolk."
It's a shame, anyone older than 12 is probably a little self-conscious about trick or treating already. I don't think it is right to pressure kids to grow out of it at the same time... that's mildly fascist. Anybody has a right to participate, and anyone has a right to refuse. Other issues surrounding this need to be treated separately.
Fascist ?
NEVER
i feel like this is the obvious answer to anybody who actually thinks about it, lol.
(also honestly it's wild to me that there are places basically trying to legislate how old you can be to trick-or-treat since like... is it really that big of a deal? are we gonna die if there are a couple of 16 or 19 year olds interspersed with the dozens of small children ready to take all your candy?)
It's such a harmless, wholesome activity, how could anyone possible get mad about it?
Trick-or-treeting for all! Throw off your chains!
This reminds me of a situation I was in a few months ago. Recently San Francisco opened up some new really awesome play structures on the lawn of the capital building. My family and I were there for a stage play, and naturally, some of us went to try to play on them, because they looked awesome. It was my cousin, 26, me, 20, and my sister, 17. Immediately, we got kicked off my security. Apparently there is an age limit on having fun at a playground. I didn't pay the city taxes to build it, so I couldn't complain too much, but if my city ever tries anything like that, I will definitely be writing my representatives.
I'm sorry, but if some 60-year-old man turns up on my doorstep asking for free lollies, he's going to get a very frosty reception. Even a 20-year-old is probably going to get told to push off.
The only reason I wouldn't say the same thing to young children asking for free lollies is because I know they don't know any better. But teenagers and adults should know better than to go asking for free stuff at their neighbours' houses.
It's a cute tradition, what do you mean they don't "know better"? You speak as if this is an annoyance we must put up with from young children. Is trick-or-treating just not as common in Australia or something?
Isn't it? You want a quiet night in, but instead you've got a steady stream of children turning up at your door asking for lollies.
No. It seems to be slowly increasing in popularity but it's still far from common.
As the author of this opinion piece points out:
Halloween is not an Australian tradition at all. We never had harvest festivals here, and we never marked the religious All Hallows' Day here. Halloween, and the "trick or treat" phenomenon associated with it, is something we're gradually importing from America because we watch so many American movies and shows, and because retailers want to sell us more stuff. But it's not an Aussie tradition.
In my area (in the US) we just turn off the porch lights and we don't get much of anyone coming to our door. Are the kids more insistent in your area?
Luckily, I've never actually had any children turn up at my door. But, I've mostly lived in apartments for the past decade. When I did live in a house, I came home one year to find my front fence had been egged.
I have seen occasional small groups of trick-or-treaters out & about sometimes. I figure it's only a matter of time until one of these groups decides to come to the house I'm currently living in.
I only learned that there were supposed "rules" about outside lights last year (and I learned it from Americans online, not from other Aussies). As I said, this is not an Aussie tradition. Trick or treating just wasn't a thing for us when I was a kid 30-40 years ago. It's a recent import, so I assume most Aussies don't know this rule about whether their light should be on or off.
Couldn't agree more. The Americanisation of our culture is really depressing. Meanwhile you're instantly labeled as racist if you try and have any pride around our own culture. I don't actually personally get effected by the latter (as I don't really have an allegiance to any specific culture, coming from a mix of many in my family), but it's still a bit ridiculous watching it play out in the media and through friends.
Halloween shouldn't be a thing here. Simple. The idea that I could have my house egged because I didn't give out free lollies for a holiday we don't even have in our country is ludicrous, but it happens now.
Small difference of experience - harvest festivals can be common in some farm areas, but they tend to just be bonfires and BBQs.
But Halloween? That's a new thing, and god-awful, to be honest.
Okay. Thanks for that.
But I bet these harvest festivals are held in Autumn, not October/November.
Bit of both, in my very limited experience. Though, the festivals around October tended to be somewhat Wiccan in nature, and they are well outside the average Australian culture.
I've only ever had trick-or-treaters the last three years.
I have a roommate who trick-or-treats every year. He's in his mid-40's. The thing is he mostly only does so in our neighbourhood, where mostly everyone already knows him. We don't get many kids in our neighbourhood, but everyone ends up buying a 50-pack of candy anyway. So, we usually only end up getting 2-4 groups of trick-or-treaters on an average halloween and most of it just gets eaten by adults anyway. He says around 80% of people are happy to see him and give him candy. The rest tell him to fuck off, usually in no uncertain terms.
I'm sitting in class waiting for things to start and two of my 20-22ish classmates are talking about their trick-or-treating plans so if these guys are anything to go off of, those kids still got at least a decade left.
They shouldn't be arrested for it, but come the hell on.
I don't see the issue. If I thought it would be fun I would do it too.
If you're willing to put some effort into a costume and knock on doors, you deserve a little candy. I think the oldest I've given out candy to is around 16 or 17, though. Really, though, even if they don't have a costume they still get candy. No use spoiling their fun.
For me, the last year I went was when I was 12, and only because a buddy of mine insisted that we go. We only did one side of a block on the way to a party.
My son broke my wife’s heart this year when he said he wasn’t dressing up or going trick or treating. He’s almost 12. My daughter who is 14 is having a party at our house and has informed her guests they are all going so make sure to wear shoes they can walk in.
ha. he should still dress up, especially if he's not going out. Will your son be handing out candy?
He’ll probably pass out candy, but he refuses to dress up.
well, at least he's being put to work. :)
It shouldn't be illegal at any age. That sort of law strikes me as a thin veneer of justification to allow cops to selectively harass young adults on Halloween.
The age at which it becomes weird / "aren't you a bit old for that?" is when you have sufficient spending money of your own that you can just go to the store and buy candy.
That's just ridiculous. While it might be foolish and silly (and possibly rude) to go knocking on neighbours' doors asking for free lollies, it shouldn't be criminalised. Not by a long shot.
I certainly don't think anyone should be charged with a crime for trick-or-treating. I think 12 or 13 is a good cutoff point for what age is 'okay.'
I don't want to get too deep into semantics, but I think there is an age where trick-or-treating is play and an age where any event is social. I think at the point where an event is social, it engenders a more mature environment. Trick-or-treating is kind of a silly thing that's fun for kids, but kind of weird for adults. If a group of adolescents go trick-or-treating, they are doing it more to hang out with one another and not to play with other children.
Of course none of that actually matters because everyone is going to define trick-or-treating differently.
I think there's a clear definition for this. If you're knocking on other people's doors asking for candy/lollies, then you're trick-or-treating. If you're not knocking on other people's doors, then you're just hanging out with your friends on Halloween.
personally I think if you're over 16 it gets a bit weird in the USA at least. Sure if someone came to my door I'd still give em candy, but the last year I personally tricker treated was around 15, and I was escorting my younger brothers and sisters. I don't really think there should be a maximum age, but it definitely gets taboo once you're basically an adult going around asking for free candy.
Then again, who am I to judge if the person at the door is 14 or 18, it can honestly be hard to tell sometimes. It definitely shouldn't be a legislated thing.
I'm 35+ years old and I never got free candy from strangers. If I ever go to America, you better give some candy to this pot-bellied Superman!
If they are old enough to be the United States president,
Then they have no claim to candy from another resident.