As someone who has always gone all out for Halloween and makes it her mission to have the heaviest pillowcase of candy, it is hard to come to terms with the fact that the thrill of Halloween comes to an end with age. Instead of running door to door, soon it’ll be me handing out the candy–but, how soon is this?

Trick-or-treating should very well have an age limit, but to me, I don’t see my trick- or-treating career ending very soon; maybe being in denial with this ultimate realization helps with that.

In my experience, throughout my childhood, I missed Halloween nights of trick or treating three years in a row due to being sick. I still want to make the most of Halloween. So, yes, you probably will see me in a neighborhood dressed up, still trying to pile as much candy as I can into a stretching pillow case, even as I enter senior year.

Over the past few years, when my friends and I have gone trick-or-treating, we have been one of the oldest groups throughout neighborhoods. Although trick-or-treating ends with age for some, the celebration of Halloween does not have to.

Along with Halloween, and missing the excitement of choosing your costume every year months in advance, other holidays have also changed with age. Halloween is just one example of how maturing affects the joy that each holiday brings. As I have gotten older, I’ve begun to hold more appreciation for my friends and family during holiday seasons.

When I was little, I would be so focused on the gifts under the tree during Christmas. I now get excited just to see my visiting family. Even during Halloween, when I was once solely focused on the candy, I now enjoy planning group costumes with my friends and even appreciate hanging out with them almost as much as I enjoy the candy.

Halloween can be celebrated at any age– whether it be through simply watching scary movies in your own home, or even going to a haunted house with your friends. It does not take trick-or-treating to enjoy Halloween.

Personally, all I need is a good group of people to hang out with and some sort of costume, even if it is just throwing on a spooky t-shirt (and candy, hopefully) to have fun on Oct. 31st. Although my trick-or-treating career may be ending soon, I am a thousand percent certain that in the future, my house will be the house with the full-size candy bars.