As the days grow shorter, leaves change colors, and the pumpkin spice lattes come back for their seasonal spot in menus, the excitement for Halloween begins to swell. For many, this holiday brings back memories of costumes, trick-or-treating, and spooky decorations. But a debate brews among many high schoolers: Are highschoolers too old to participate in Halloween activities? 

As high school students have to navigate through the pressures of classes, extracurriculars, personal workload, and other time-consuming activities, Halloween offers students a brief escape back into their playful and creative spirit. It’s a time for them to reconnect with their friends, get free candy, or just a night to relive their memories again. 

Social Expectations & Peer Pressure

High school is a tricky place where students often try to find a way to blend in and worry about being judged. For some students, participating in Halloween activities can seem childish, which drives them away from wanting to engage in the spooky festivities. 

This fear of having to fit in and avoid social judgment may pressure students to have to adopt a more “mature” persona, which overall pushes the idea that high school students are just “too old” for this playful holiday. 

There’s just not enough time.

Prioritized with academics, sports, college applications, and extracurricular activities, high schoolers just don’t have enough time to spare for Halloween festivities. 

As Halloween comes around the middle of the semester, students are expected to have adapted to their new environments and classes. Teachers lecture on new course material and students are given assessments to study for. During this time as well, college applications are open for submission, and most seniors are focused on their future, rather than the present. 

With those who have responsibilities such as part-time or full-time jobs and internships, celebrating Halloween simply seems unrealistic for them. 

Maturity 

Teachers have also enforced the idea that high school students are young adults, and should prepare for the harsh life of college. In this journey towards growing up and becoming more mature and independent, students also have to give up their child-like tendencies, which unfortunately includes celebrating in the spooky festivities of Halloween. 

With this priority of gaining maturity, students often prioritize more serious social interactions and activities, which renders Halloween as too frivolous and childish. 

Media’s Influence 

Often in society’s media, Halloween is portrayed as a holiday that is mainly for younger children, which inevitably creates an unspoken age limit. 

Channels such as Disney, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon often tailor their shows to any upcoming holidays, creating separate spooky specials for children to feel the exciting festivity of Halloween. 

Movies such as “The Addams Family,” “Happy Halloween Scooby-Doo,” and “Hotel Transylvannia” are meant for children to enjoy with their families. However, there are only a slim amount of Halloween themed movies for a young-adult audience when compared to the amount of shows for children. 

Because of the media’s focus on Halloween shows for children to watch, the notion that high school students are “too old” for Halloween is driven further. 

Finding a Balance 

So are high schoolers really too old for Halloween? Well this cannot be answered by a simple “Yes” or a “No.” While there are many who feel that they’ve outgrown the tradition of celebrating Halloween, there are also those who still find joy in celebrating this spooky holiday. 

Since high school students are at that intersection between childhood and adulthood, it is essential that students embrace both their nostalgic childhood and growing maturity and celebrate Halloween in their own unique ways, regardless of age.