The Great Halloween Debate: Age Limits for Trick-or-Treating in Connecticut?
A Halloween debate is brewing across Connecticut and beyond: should there be an age limit for trick-or-treating? Many towns have already set age restrictions, typically capping it around 13 or 14 years old. Upper Deerfield Township in New Jersey recently made headlines for establishing an age limit of 12.
According to YouGov, a recent survey of over 5,000 Americans revealed that most believe trick-or-treating should end during the teenage years. A significant 43% suggested the cutoff should be between 13 and 16 years old. Specifically, 15% felt that 16 years or older was too old to trick-or-treat, while 14% chose 13 years old. There are also those who feel the limit should be even younger, with 10% advocating for 12 years, and a small percentage suggesting ages 11 and 10. Interestingly, 27% of respondents felt there should be no age limit at all.
This begs the question: if a teenager, complete with a beard and 401k, showed up at your door for candy, would you still hand over a Kit Kat? The conversation has resonated with many in Connecticut. Listeners from I-95 shared their thoughts, revealing a range of opinions on the topic.
Rob - Watertown: "I think the age limit should be somewhere around 13, but in that same mindset, you want to be able to provide an offer for so why not have a party or a gathering with all of their friends so that they can celebrate their holiday as well?"
Joe Italiano - Monroe: "Once you hit high school you should be either partying or out scaring the crap out of trick-or-treaters. My favorite Halloween as a kid was playing dead with my friend in his front yard made up like a graveyard and popping up when they would get close and scare the s-- out of them!"
John - New Milford: "Hey, good morning, guys question about cut-offs for trick-or-treaters. I believe if you’re in 12th grade of high school you’re still good; after that you have gotta start going to Halloween parties at the bars and clubs."
Jaybird32 - 06482: "My pal Nick brought me and another friend out to trick-or-treat when we were 16. He and the other friend were kids at heart. I thought it was a little ridiculous, but we could have been doing worse things at that age. That's what his mother said. It was a good light-hearted time."
Kevin - Dover Plains, NY: "Who's going to enforce it?"
Gary - New Milford: "I say no age limit because if you tell a teen no, what do you think they are going to do anyway?"
Fat, Drunk & Stupid - Shelton: "When we were young, we would go out the night before Halloween and terrorize people. It was called 'hell' night. It was kind of like the Purge for 14-year-olds."
Bill B. - Bethel: "Having kids of multiple ages I see the evolution of Halloween. My 17-year-old wants to hang with his friends in costumes and just walk around town having fun. My 15-year-old wants to go out with his friends and no dad in search of 'quality candy,' and my 12-year-old is still interested in getting as much candy as she can get. A very different experience from my Halloweens of the '80s in NYC. No eggs, toilet paper, or powder? This is the root of the problems with our youth of today. Haha. Have a great day, guys."
Southern Rock Joe - Carmel, NY: "If you're in a costume and not being a menace, I have candy for you. And nice little kids will get two."
John - Roxbury: "When you smoke your first cigarette, drink, have sex, or smoke pot, trick-or-treating is over."
The age limit debate for trick-or-treating is really just a fun glimpse into how we view childhood, and our love for free candy. Opinions are all over the map—some folks think 13 is ancient, while others are ready to hand out treats to anyone in a costume, even if they can legally vote!
What do you think?
What age?
My opinion: Anyone that is one day over 16 is too old to go trick-or-treating.
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