Age Restrictions On Trick-Or-Treating?

Every Halloween season seems to bring about the same debate: How old is too old for trick-or-treating?

While there may never be a consensus on an age limit, some communities around North America have set their own standards. In Bathurst, New Brunswick, the trick-or-treating age has been capped at 14 years old. The age limit is 12 years old in towns like Belville, Illinois, and Meridian, Mississippi, as well as Bishopville, South Carolina, and Boonsboro, Maryland.

Parents seem to be at odds with whether an age-limit is necessary, or if kids should be allowed to enjoy their youth for as long as possible.

"Your childhood has to end at some point," Brandi Eatman, a 34-year-old mother, told the Tampa Bay Times in a Thursday article. "You don't believe in Santa or the tooth fairy forever."

But there are also parents who are happy their children still indulge in innocent activities on Halloween.

"I say let them have fun as long as they can. And really, what would people prefer teenagers do on Halloween? Trick-or-treating seems like a really great option when you consider what else some kids get up to," said Wendy Copley in a Today report last year.

A poll on Twitter published Monday tried to narrow down the public's opinion on age restrictions. Over 400 voters participated and the results were scattered. Nineteen percent said 10 years old, 35 percent said 12 years old, 27 percent said 13 years old, and 19 percent agreed that trick-or-treating has no age limit and could be enjoyed well into a person's 30's.