Halloween time is upon us. The time when we all dress like we’ve secretly wanted to all year and roam the streets, like a horde of flamboyant zombies. All those memories of fun, candy, and subsequent fillings in your teeth may really have you excited this year, but let’s take a moment to ask ourselves a question. How old is too old to be partaking in these festivities? At what point must we hang up the old pumpkin bucket and take our place among the ranks of candy-dealing adults?

If you asked your run-of-the-mill CHS student, the answer would be pretty simple: there is no age limit! Every year in Carlsbad, you can open your door and see a beautiful mix of people ranging from toddlers to college students. But what’s the policy outside our community?

Well, it turns out, this is actually becoming an increasingly heated debate. In fact, there have been so many complaints and conflicts that in some cities like Miridian, Mississippi and Bishopville, South Carolina, it has actually become illegal to trick-or-treat past the age of 12. This extreme regulation is meant to put a stop to some serious issues. In the past, there have been reports of teenagers and adults using this holiday as an excuse to harass and trespass on other people’s property. In cases like that, it’s understandable that the local government would try to lower the crime rate on Halloween by imposing these laws.

But those are isolated incidents. Carlsbad is different, right? Well, for the most part that’s true. Of course there’s increased conflict, but that is normal, as a holiday promoting human interaction inevitably leads to issues. As a relatively laid-back and safe community, Carlsbad has avoided the level of problems seen in other areas. In suburban areas like this, there seems to be a pretty basic rule: people are okay with older trick-or-treaters, if they’ll actually dress up.

This rule is key to trick or treating. Essentially, your costume is an offering you give people in order to receive candy. A group of guys skating door to door with plastic bags and khakis is not an acceptable offering. For people manning the doors, the cooler the costume, the more candy is deserved.

So the answer is no. Feel free to trick-or-treat to your hearts content for the rest of your life. You might get some funny looks, but as long as you’re a good sport and remember the rule, you’ll be a happy candy-seeker for the rest of your days.