In elementary school, it’s weird if you don’t. You beg your parents to let you stay up late and run around the neighborhood, collecting candy for as long as possible. Even in the week leading up to Halloween, you spend weeks planning your costume, which you are excited to show off to your teachers and classmates. 

Then middle school comes around, and, for the most part, everyone continues to wear their costumes to school. While it might not be as big an event as in elementary school, many middle schoolers still wait in anticipation for the night of trick-or-treating to begin. 

Once students get to high school, however, there is a shift in the majority of students’ attitudes toward Halloween. Only a very small population of the school dresses up, and most of them are teachers. As a result, I set out to discover just how many of us at MHS still celebrate this spooky holiday. 

Fifty-nine students from all four grades were interviewed about their plans for October 31st.   The results? About 69% of MHS students are not trick-or-treating this year. On the other hand, a surprising 75% are still planning on dressing up and doing other Halloween-related activities, such as hanging out with friends, going to parties, and handing out candy. That being said, 10% of the students interviewed aren’t expecting to do anything Halloween-related at all that night. 

“I feel like at fifteen I am too old to trick-or-treat,” said Sophomore Thea Malcom when asked whether this change stems from a personal choice or an expectation from society. “It's some of my choice but mainly just what the social norm is for kids of my age.” She later went on to say that she might go as long as a group of friends also supports her decision and goes trick-or-treating with her. 

All in all, only around 28% of highschoolers are planning to go trick-or-treating on Halloween. This low participation is quite a dramatic shift from middle school, when dressing up at school and going trick-or-treating was more widespread. But the moment high school comes around, it is suddenly uncommon. Perhaps this shift comes as students get older, and, therefore, are suddenly surrounded by new social norms and allowed greater independence, which all make the act of trick-or-treating less interesting. 

“There’s a point where you’re like ‘okay l’m too old for this,’” said Senior Shannon Hale. “I think what’s gonna end up happening is I am just going to wander around with half-a-costume taking from the take-five bowls.”