As Halloween is approaching, more and more teens are falling into a realization that they are “too old” to participate in some Halloween festivities. With fewer people walking the sidewalks and ringing doorbells, is Halloween as we knew it in previous years on the decline?

In general, most people believe that the Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating shouldn’t extend into teen years. According to survey data from USA Today, an online news agency,  “When asked ‘How old is too old to trick-or-treat?’ 73 percent of people said between ages 12 and 17. But those five years between early and late teens mark a huge difference in adolescent development.”

However, USA Today also states that “More than one quarter of adults believe that children are never too old for the tradition,” according to a 2021 YouGov survey.

In the past, my family was well accustomed to endless knocks on the door and emergency trips to Walgreens to buy more candy for trick-or-treaters. However, in the last two years, we have had a significantly lower amount of kids coming to our door. When driving on Halloween, we used to see the streets swarmed with kids in costumes, but now, the area seems somewhat desolate.

Although the amount of trick-or-treaters is seemingly dwindling, many people still plan on participating in other Halloween festivities. In general, 73% of people plan to participate in Halloween activities in 2023, according to a survey given by Statista. A recent survey by USA Today revealed that 53% of consumers are planning on decorating for the upcoming holiday. Consumers are also expected to spend a record of 12.2 billion dollars on Halloween candy and decorations alone, compared to 10.6 billion dollars in 2022.

So, even if the amount of trick-or-treaters around your community has been on the decrease, Halloween may not necessarily be dying completely. Around the country, people are spending record amounts of money on Halloween decorations and festivities compared to past years. Many St. Charles East students attended “Halloweekend” parties and dressed up in costumes. Although the culture surrounding Halloween may have changed from what it was years ago, it is safe to say that this holiday is still very much alive in the St. Charles community.