If you walked onto Marco Island Academy’s campus the morning of October 31st, you’d see a slew of costumed teenagers out on the pavilion. The costumes ranged from witch hats and t-shirts to complete outfits. The age limit for Halloween has been debated over by many over the past few years. Plenty of Marco Island’s teens meet up with their friends Halloween night to go trick-or-treating in search of candy and fun.

Many teens love trick-or-treating. Approximately 48% of Americans dressed up to go trick or treating this year, according to The National Retail Federation. Ryan Sullivan, a MIA student who dressed up in costume this Halloween, says “I’m still going to hold on to the best tradition of my favorite holiday until I personally decide that I’m too old.” Even though approximately 63% of students polled at MIA did not go trick or treating, 76% agreed that teenagers were not too old to participate. The majority of students did not dress up and trick-or-treat, but didn’t believe that they were too old to.

School also places a lot of stress on students. With the pressure put on them to get good grades, participate in sports and clubs, and fit in with their peers, Halloween gives the teens that choose to dress up to relieve that stress. The costumes that teens think up give them a chance to release all of the stress that they’ve built up by participating in an activity that allows them to experience childlike fun again. A New York University survey in 2015 stated that 49% of the students surveyed were stressed almost everyday by their grades, homework, and extracurriculars. When high schoolers meet up with their friends to hunt for candy Halloween night, they are finding a way to release all of the built up stress inside.

Even though many adults are intimidated by teenagers in masks, it is better for them to participate in the Halloween festivities than to get themselves in trouble. As long as the students abide by the laws and are safe around younger children, then there is no reason they shouldn’t go trick-or-treating. The teens themselves should be able to decide whether or not they want to stop participating in the tradition of trick-or-treating Halloween night, but only if they’ll follow the laws.