Why is it not okay for adults to trick-or-treat?

I was just thinking about this on my way home from the store, but why is it sort of un-said, but frowned upon for adults to trick or treat? Shouldn't anyone be able to dress up and enjoy the holiday?

Darrin Darrin
Oct '14

Sure, dress up and enjoy the holiday. Just buy your own candy. I really love handing out treats to the little kiddos. But I don't think that adults should be asking for treats, too. Go to a Halloween party. Host your own party. Dress up and hand out candy at your home. There's lots of ways adults can enjoy Halloween.....just leave the asking for candy part out of the equation.

gloser gloser
Oct '14

I agree with gloser here. There are ways for adults to enjoy the holiday other than trick or treating. A party is a great way to do that. If I see adults coming to my door dressed in costume, I'm probably going to lock the door and turn the light off because I will think you're a physco lol!


OMG Darrin was that you that came to my condo in pumps and heels last year ? You do not make a very attractive woman. Try a less scary makeup this year and I'll give you a 3 Musketeer bar.

jereycash5
Oct '14

A lot of work for little reward , I'd rather go buy my candy

Cowgirl1 Cowgirl1
Oct '14

Per Wikipedia:

"The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays dates back to the Middle Ages and includes Christmas wassailing. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of souling, when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2)."

So, move forward a thousand+ years ... if you can afford to buy it, unlike most young kids, skip the begging.

emaxxman emaxxman
Oct '14

Seriously? Adults going door to door asking for candy? Get a job and buy your own candy. I seriously would close the door if adults started ringing my doorbell.

villani villani
Oct '14

*psycho* and now I look like one lol!


I will gladly give candy to anyone who shows up on my doorstep in costume. It's the older teens that don't dress up that I don't want to give candy to. As long as you put in the effort to dress up as something, I will gladly give you candy.

Njchia Njchia
Oct '14

I have to agree with Njchia here, it's about enjoying the holiday by however means you choose to. I have never seen adults trick or treating, nor have i ever gone myself as an adult, I was just wondering.

It isn't about the candy it's about meeting your neighbors I suppose

When I was a kid my parents used to bring me to Hackettstown, as my grandparents have lived here for ever, and my Dad was raised in this town. So going door to door we were always meeting people my parents knew or went to school with, it was just a good time for all

Darrin Darrin
Oct '14

went trick or drinking years ago in my nyc apartment - a good time was had by all

5catmom 5catmom
Oct '14

There are some adults who dress up and bring their young children to trick or treat. I have never had a grownup ask for treats just the kids do. I really think the teens that come around without costumes or makeup are just grubbing for free candy and I hate to reward that lazy behavior. I would say something to them about what that behavior says about them but my wife always holds me back from doing that because she doesn't want any trouble with disgruntled teenagers.


I will give a treat to anyone who comes to my door.

MikeL MikeL
Oct '14

It depends on what you call an adult. 18, 19, 20 trick or treat all the tome in my neighborhood. parents with small kids, I love them when they dress up as families. I give to all of them. I usually just give candy to all of them.

Christine Christine
Oct '14

A+ Njchia and MK

Really?
Oct '14

..to each his own... but, anyone that comes to my door asking, will get candy... to me, it's the "spirit" of the day, and all in fun.. not a time that triggers judgement or criticism, it's just fun..

pmnsk pmnsk
Oct '14

I understand where you are coming from pmnsk and I do agree the holiday should be fun and everyone should enjoy the spirit of the day. Getting in the spirit of the day it does not take much effort to put forth some kind of costume. If you are not willing to make the minimal effort to become a part of the day and spread the spirit then I feel you are not worth rewarding with the givings of the day. For an older teen to come to my door with no effort to be in the spirit of the day is not judged or criticized just not rewarded for no effort. That is the real world. No effort, no reward. The sooner they learn that lesson the better off they will be. Unfortunately they will judge me for not giving them free candy for no effort, I will be the cheap old bastard that didn't give them anything..LOL....


Totally agreed, costumes are a must. I once saw a old man trick or treating as a kid, and he was dressed up!

Anyone that comes to my house without a costume will get a door in their face, but then again we hardly ever get any trick-or-treaters

Darrin Darrin
Oct '14

When I has my shop in another town we would have hundreds of trick or treaters come through. If someone didn't have a costume, we would ask them "what they were". "Exhausted student" was a popular answer. The parents with the nursing babies asking for candy was our beef.

Blackcat Blackcat
Oct '14

for the people asking for candy that do not dress up .... give them a rock like the old charlie brown tv show...

tunnel rat tunnel rat
Oct '14

Darrin-dont you do that everyday? Lol

botheredbyuu2 botheredbyuu2
Oct '14

sorry but Halloween should be a kids only holiday. i never understood the appeal as an adult.

darwin darwin
Oct '14

I still give candy to anyone at my door, dressed up or not, its hard times, costumes are expensive, but trick or treating should still be made a fun thing for the kids to do, even if they cant buy a 30.00 costume.

icicle icicle
Oct '14

bbu....oh yea your right, lmao,

Darrin Darrin
Oct '14

as I said, to each his/her own... I am not suggesting that my perspective is the "right" one. I really enjoy seeing all the kids and not-so-kids... as well, I love saying hello to neighbors and new folks... I think that, for those reasons, I enjoy it as much as an adult as I did as a child - so, I really don't care if you have a costume or not - how old you are - I will say hello and give you candy...

pmnsk pmnsk
Oct '14

I would never think of trick or treating as an adult. I didn't even do it as a teenager. We only get dressed up for the annual costume party at our social club.

Calico696 Calico696
Oct '14

If you want to dress up while you take your kids, that's OK, just dont carry a bag.

botheredbyuu2 botheredbyuu2
Oct '14

Denying someone Candy because they are an adult will result in the trick part of trick or treat.

sack
Oct '14

"Trick or Treat" for adults would only be interesting at a place like Hedonism, lol. I even have my costume all worked out. I'd wear a pair of roller skates and go as a pull toy (-;

ianimal ianimal
Oct '14

According to the official rule book of Halloween...........................

Clyde Potts Clyde Potts
Oct '14

LOL CP. It's going that route though. Designating the day (not even necessarily Halloween) and hours that kids can trick-or-treat. Someone thinks they have a rule book. ;-)

Calico696 Calico696
Oct '14

With all this said, due to unforeseen circumstances we will not be available to give out candy. I worry what my house will look like when we get home.

Christine Christine
Oct '14

Really Christine? Do you think the neighborhood kids would do something? I hope not or they are worse than I thought. In my current home I do not get trick-or-treaters, but in years past I would make it a point not to be home lol! (Sorry, don't like Halloween). I don't remember anything bad happening. I guess the kids just figured nobody was home and moved on to the next house. I hope that's the case for you too:)


why is it not ok for adults to trick or treat?

because the only thing creepier than clowns at the circus is a full grown adult in a clown suit ringing doorbells and saying things like "Trick or Treat"

i mean come on now, that's pretty creepy right? makes me want to look up and down the street for the plain color panel van with no windows and missing the inside door handles . . .

creeps me out, that's for sure

i do offer candy to the adults who help sheppard the kids around the neighborhood, hey, i got the big bowl full of goodies, might as well hand them out to the ones doing the supervising as well as the little ones dressed up for the day.

BrotherDog BrotherDog
Oct '14

Oooh. Adult Trick-or-treating for pre-made dinners you just have to stick in the oven. Now I'd t-or-t for that!


Maybe the neighborhood adults...... :->

Darrin Darrin
Oct '14

We dress up with our kids and walk them around, but stay back and let them do the ToT. Sometimes, people give them extra candy and tell them to bring it to us. We dress up because the kids get a kick out of everyone being something fun for the evening. I wouldn't go around carrying my own bucket, and when they are old enough to go on their own, I'll have fun handing out the candy in my costume if I feel like it.

ladeevee ladeevee
Oct '14

JRT nothing surprises me anymore. We were once "the house to go to"! My husband would do it up big. Fog. scary music, him jumping out of a casket, chain saws etc. BUT unfortunately we cannot this year.

Christine Christine
Oct '14

I decided to give those lazy teenagers apples this year.

Smack Smack
Oct '14

Man rough crowd. Beyond " to each their own", I don't understand why it's weird for adults to have a little child like fun. I have dressed up in costume and gobe to parties as an adult many times. This year we were not invited to a party so we contemplated going out as zombies to spook the kids and maybe ring a few doorbells while we were at it. I don't see what the big deal is, obviously we can afford our own candy... we wouldn't be trick-or-treating for free candy but more for the fun of it. I don't have children or even a niece or nephew of my own to take around, but I would like to have fun walking around the neighborhood. Many people in Hackettstown, in my experience, are so conservative it blows my mind. anything out of the ordinary is viewed as crazy or weird instead of maybe fun or artistic or whatever. The whole holiday of dressing up is so silly to begin with I don't know how you can possibly take it so seriously.

YoungAtHeart YoungAtHeart
Oct '15

Thank you YoungAtHeart for your post. I'm 50, and a big kid at heart. While I don't participate in Halloween activities (other than climbing a mountain in the Catskills to a haunted, burned down hotel on Overlook Mtn with friends, and a bottle of wine ... :-) ), I completely agree with you, and Darrin. We're all different, and enjoy different things.

Judge not, lest thou be judged ....

,,,,, and don't take life too seriously .... it will soon be over ,,,,,

Robert Durana Robert Durana
Oct '15

I always give the adults candy who come with the kids - I love Halloween it's my Xmas

skippy skippy
Oct '15

Anyone who comes to my door and is polite and friendly gets candy. I don't care if you're 5, 15, 25, or 50.

1988LJ 1988LJ
Oct '15

Wish I was home this year to give you candy youngAtHeart! Love your idea! I dressed up as a witch last year and dragged my husband around on a chain as my "pet" while we took my daughter and her friend trick or treating. We got some laughs!

Renter Renter
Oct '15

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

Larry Larry
Oct '15

YoungatHeart come to my door and I will give you candy - maybe even the whole stash! I love your spirit and that is what Halloween is all about. Dress up, have fun, scare a few people and collect candy.

Mrs. Resident Mrs. Resident
Oct '15

Please have compassion for "adults" who may have (BUT NOT OBVIOUSLY DISPLAY) special traits... keep in mind there are autistic, Asperger's, non-communicative, immature, & EVEN TALL TEENAGERS that want to Trick-or-Treat & not be judged or whispered about or made fun of.

For years my daughter hadn't any friends & was bullied so she didn't want to Trick-or-Treat & now @ 19 & 5'9" wants to but I'm afraid to let her because I don't want the above to happen. Instead, I buy her Her Own Bag/s of candy (to limit).

Please Don't Judge Please Don't Judge
Oct '15

A very good point from Please... and another great reason that anyone at my door in costume gets a treat. I have milkbones handy for the trick or treating dogs too!

I dress up to give out candy and my yard is done up... and we don't have children to use as an excuse (although we have 6 nephews and a niece). I could care less if someone thinks I'm childish for doing so. You go "do you" and let me "do me" and if I bring smiles to people who tell me they enjoy my decorations and enthusiasm then my day is made! I love when kids run up to the house and see my decorations and say "ewwww gross, cool!!!"

Only had to feel badly once - very small boy was afraid of my plastic skeleton by the door, so I brought the candy out to him in the yard. He was so cute - tottering up to the door and then running away down the sidewalk, he wasn't crying or anything, he just refused to get too close!

dadogmomma dadogmomma
Oct '15

For years I had the ultimate Halloween gig. I'd go over to my Sis' house and hand out candy for her & her husband while they took their kids out with friends who'd brought their daughter over to go with them. Afterward we'd all enjoy pizza until the doorbell rang and the kids would all race me to the door to give out candy and check out the costumes. Since they moved to SC I started giving out candy at my own home.

I've got 4 large bags totaling about 27 lbs. of candy ready and waiting for anyone with a costume, whatever their age. You put forth the effort, I give you a reward. My favorites are the teens who put their own costumes together. That takes a lot of inspiration, talent and effort!

Phil D. Phil D.
Oct '15

Larry- That's a very passive agressive way to get your point across...

1988LJ 1988LJ
Oct '15

You come to my Door - you get candy.

Mrs. Resident Mrs. Resident
Oct '15

I give to everyone as well - as long as you aren't too old to dress up, and too old to say the magic words. (I insist on both)

LOTS of adults dressed up this year. Only one out of all of them took candy, and for all I know it could have been for an infant. It's all good.


You come to my Door - you get candy.- Mrs. Resident i concur

Skippy Skippy
Oct '15

Candy for all :) I love Halloween it's fun to dress up and take the kids out!!

Sunshine Sunshine
Oct '15

What's up with the kids who don't even dress up, at least put on a mask!


I just got about 6 older kids at 9:05, all dressed up and all with the magic words, "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you". They each got a handful of candy!

I'd have thought the older ones would have gone out earlier so they didn't miss the premiere of the new Starzz series, "Ash vs. Evil Dead". Bruce Campbell and Lucy Lawless...bloody, gorey FUN!

Phil D. Phil D.
Oct '15

I feel that if you come to my door and you have take the time to get dressed up for this event you get a treat but you may have to do a trick sing a song tell a joke or dance Halloween is not just for kids

Caged Animal Caged Animal
Nov '15

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