The question is, are college students too old to celebrate Halloween and trick or treat?
The answer is, no you’re not too old to celebrate Halloween, but you are definitely too old to trick or treat without a small child accompanying you.
Of course we probably won’t be as cute as the little girls in princess costumes and little boys dressed up like batman, but still, there’s something about teens and adults with a little Halloween fun left in them. Plus, Halloween is an excuse for you to buy all your favorite candy!
In 2014, Fortune Magazine reported that $1.4 billion was spent on adult Halloween costumes, compared to $1.1 billion spent on children’s costumes. These numbers alone prove that the spirit of Halloween is still alive for adults all over the country.
Sara Brooks, 21, Liberal Arts major from Richboro says, “I’ve always loved Halloween.” She laughed and added, “It was a sad year when I realized I was too old to trick or treat, but now, being older, I realized there’s a ton of cool things to do for Halloween, like go to parties and bars.”
Halloween is often portrayed as a child’s holiday, but over the years it has become heavily infiltrated by adults and teens everywhere. Haunted attractions such as Terror Behind the Walls at The Eastern State Penitentiary, and Frightfest at Six flags, all target older horror and Halloween lovers.
Madison Wichman, 19, Criminal Justice major from Yardley said, “I just went to the Eastern State Penitentiary last week, and it was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I couldn’t imagine going there as a kid. It is definitely better for teens and adults.”
Living in Bucks County has its advantages during this time of year being only 30 minutes outside of the city. Halloween is a big deal in the city, and Philadelphia has the parties to prove it.
XFINITY Live is hosting their annual Halloween party, this year themed, “WICKED: 7 Evil Parties Under One Roof.” The party runs from 8 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. on October 30. The Manayunk Brewery will also be hosting their “Manayunk’s Haunted Brewery Bash.” The event will include $500 in cash and prizes for those who show off their best costumes. The event is from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. on Oct. 31.
If you’re under 21 or the bar scene really isn’t your style, there’s bound to be a house party or frat party in the area, just begging for your attendance. Radwa Motelb, 19, Liberal arts major from Levittown talks about her Halloween plans.
“I have a lot of friends that go to Temple and they always have something going on up there. I’ll most likely go there for Halloween and go to one of the hundreds of parties that will probably be happening,” she stated.
Local colleges such as Temple, West Chester, and Drexel, are known for their big Halloween celebrations that attract students from other surrounding colleges and universities.
Roshad Martin, 20, undecided from Feasterville says, “I think no matter how old you are, Halloween is all about having fun and letting lose for one day. So you should go out with friends and do something crazy. You only get one night to pretend to be anything you want to be!”
Halloween is the one time of year where you can literally pretend to be anything, though most people stick with the basics for costumes, it is okay to get a little creative and look for costume ideas on sites such as Pinterest and Instagram. However if you are lacking inspiration, the “Top 5 adult costumes for 2015” according to the National Retail Federation this year are: witch costumes, animals, Batman character, zombies, and Star Wars Characters.
Let’s be honest though, most girls are going to stay true to the pop culture references from Mean Girls, and be a sexy bunny, kitten or mouse, and all the guys will be some type of firefighter, superhero, or jock. So clearly we lack originality.
The point is however, that here in America, you’re never too old to celebrate Halloween, because adults love to unwind and pretned to be someone else just as much as kids do. So go out there and celebrate.