THERE’S NO AGE LIMIT ON FUN

Allowing inner childhood to shine is the least of our worries

Jayde Atchison (she/her) - Opinions Editor

Tiffany Zhong - Illustrator

Walking down the richer side of town with a neon orange bag in hand and rocking a homemade princess dress, I saw one of the big kids heading to the door in his Ace Ventura costume. I can still hear the judgmental tones from the parents around me, “Isn’t he a tad too old to be trick-or-treating?”

I grew up with the adults in my life reiterating that trick-or-treating was for kids and there was most definitely an age limit to dressing up and enjoying a night of candy-getting. Grade seven came along and I had my first chaperone-less October 31st outing and while I didn’t know it at the time, it was my last time getting a variety of treats from neighbours. Somewhere along the way, the words from the wise grown-ups sunk into me and I was suddenly too old to be enjoying my favourite holiday.

I grew up in an era that made a spectacle of the worst case scenario – yearly presentations with very graphic videos of kids getting life-altering injuries from firecrackers, DARE speaking about the evils of substances – and that’s not even mentioning the four years of Catholic school. Considering all the doomsday options out there, trick-ortreating seems like a pretty tame way to spend an evening.

Collecting candy from strangers seems like a tradition, but putting a cap on fun feels far stranger. Costumes are a fun way to express your interests, get creative and step into a character that you have always wanted to be. Instead of scoffing at people enjoying an innocent night that ends with a sugar-high, how about we just allow a bit of happiness no matter their age.

There are countless reasons why people might be trick-ortreating past the age of 12. Many people move to North America from countries that do not celebrate the holiday, and want to experience the tradition they saw on TV during the years that led to their move. For some, religious upbringing may have stopped any chance of experiencing the holidays that are most common in their area.

I have a neighbour who took his friend out trick-or-treating for the first time in her twenties because she grew up a Jehovah’s Witness and wasn’t allowed to participate until she separated from the church. While she was growing up she watched as the kids around her had smiles plastered to their faces every Halloween, and when she was older my neighbour helped her to feel that same smile on her own face. My neighbour said he had to do a lot of defence work and explain, “It’s her first time!” – so that people wouldn’t deny them sugary goodness.

Working on healing our inner child is a big part of growth. It is crucial to allow ourselves to be able to enjoy the fun, cute and silly things we either never got to enjoy or we have forgotten the sensation of. When we heal childhood traumas, we are able to process trauma faced in adulthood with more solid coping mechanisms. If that means we take a minute to pump our legs on the swingset, play with dolls for the first time, or indulge in an evening of binge-watching a show you were never allowed to watch as a kid – do what you need to and let yourself to absorb the happiness.

If you see someone spending time doing something they are “too old for”, just remember the euphoria you felt doing your favourite activity as a kid and allow them the luxury of feeling that way, even just for a moment. People shouldn’t have to explain every move they make in life, so if there is no harm being done to anyone involved, then just let it go. People are fighting with their lives for basic human rights, the fish are drying up and dying in the droughts and our highways are one atmospheric river away from tumbling away – is a 17 year old dressed up as The Hulk asking for a mini Mars Bar really the worst thing that’s going on?