Knocking on doors, waiting for candy, dressed in costumes that mask identities, and doing spooky festivities spread across the lawn. The infamous holiday known for getting candy for free without paying a dime at the counter, Halloween is just around the corner. Kids are racking their brains to figure out what to dress up as. From the Batman superhero to Princess Elsa, this might be the best time of the year to fulfill kids’ sweet tooth and explore their creative desires in being someone else for one night.. However, not every kid has experienced the fun in walking around the neighborhood, knocking on people’s doors, and yelling “trick-or-treat!”

Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain in Ireland. People used to light bonfires and dress up in costumes to represent and signify that the end of summer has commenced and winter is approaching. However, there is a much more deeper meaning than celebrating that the cold season is coming. Halloween digs into a more meaningful part of religion. Some Christians believe that the holiday is associated with Satanism and the devil himself, Lucifer. Due to these beliefs, some parents do not let their kids roam the streets asking for candy because it refutes everything they stand for. As for freshman, Paige NgaNga, focusing on the Christmas holiday that is soon to come is her solution to not being able to celebrate the ‘day of the devil’ as she sees it. 

“I don’t celebrate Halloween because of mainly what it represents. It’s typically known as the day of the devil, so my parents won’t let me go out and trick-or-treat. Most of the time, we sit at home on the couch, with the lights off and watch Christmas movies. However, there are churches like Rush Creek that do something similar to trick or treating, so sometimes we go and participate in that,” said NgaNga.

Aside from the religious representations of the holiday, Halloween is a time that little kids are more than happy to receive candy. However, in a years time, those little kids grow up to be teenagers and Halloween isn’t about miraculously seeing kids from school walking down the street to get some candy, according to sophomore, Lindsay Reyes. Taking one piece of candy turns into taking the whole bowl, dressing up as characters turns into wearing hoodies, and roaming the neighborhood turns into dancing to blaring music at a house party. Reyes sees growing out of Halloween as a part of growing up. 

“I don’t go trick-or-treating anymore because I feel like I have gotten to that age where I don’t need to be knocking on people’s doors and asking for Candy. Halloween is for little kids who are in elementary school. I’m sixteen, so I just sit at home and do whatever I want,” exclaimed Reyes.

At the age of four through ten, parents usually do not let their kids go trick-or-treating by themselves. Parents are usually there to monitor their every move and sometimes to hold their kids’ hands and baskets of candy. Parents play a key role in a child’s life and on Halloween, they will not be too far behind their kids as they approach the door to ask for their candy. The impact parents have on kids during Halloween also extends to teenagers. Junior, Khyler Scott, is consistently turned down when defending the purpose of Halloween and does not participate.

“My mom won’t let me go trick-or-treating because she has told me every year that it is for the devil. She tells me that every year, if I want to go, that I want to support the devil. She tells that to me and both my brothers, so I don’t go trick or treating. Also, I can just buy my own candy from the store, but sometimes I do want to go trick-or-treating,” said Scott.

Halloween is a special day for those that are “of age” or without binding limitations to trick-or-treat. If the choice is made to turn all the lights off and stay at home to watch movies, that is not a shunned option. Nonetheless, waiting for the next holiday would be accepted as well. 

“I don’t celebrate Halloween because of mainly what it represents. It’s typically known as the day of the devil, so my parents won’t let me go out and trick or treat. Most of the time, we sit at home on the couch, with the lights off and watch Christmas movies. However, there are churches like Rush Creek that do something similar to trick or treating, so sometimes we go and participate in that,” said NgaNga.

Aside from the religious representations of the holiday, Halloween is known for the little kids more than happy to receive candy. However, in a years time, those little kids grow up to be teenagers and Halloween transitions from taking one piece of candy to taking the whole bowl, dressing up as characters turns into wearing hoodies, and roaming the neighborhood turns into dancing to blaring music at a house party. For sophomore, Lindsay Reyes, growing up comes with growing out of Halloween.

“I don’t go trick or treating anymore, because I feel like I have gotten to that age where I don’t need to be knocking on people’s doors and asking for Candy. Halloween is for little kids who are in elementary school. I’m sixteen, so I just sit at home and do whatever I want,” exclaimed Reyes.

Parents play a key role in a child’s life during Halloween. The influential impact can sway kids’ opinions on the holiday. Halloween is the day to dress up like your favorite character and end the night with a bag full of candy. Or it might be a night to just turn all the lights off, stay at home, and get an early start on watching Christmas movies.