Imagine getting your latest Michael Myers costume ready to go for your usual trick-or-treating and you end up facing jail time. Well, that was the case for some teenagers back in the day. And by back in the day, I mean just 2019 in a town in Virginia.
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While nowadays jail time is out of the question, several towns do have an age limit for trick-or-treating, so you might want to take note if you are a parent or an overly-excited 30-year-old who has eagerly waited all year to get some free candy. And no, I'm not talking about myself.
Let's focus our attention on Chesapeake, Virginia. Back in the 1970s, the town set up an age limit so that children up to 12 years old were allowed to trick-or-treat during Halloween. The controversy came because anyone who was caught trick-or-treating and was above the age limit could potentially face jail. You could spend up to six months in prison for trick-or-treating. Although authorities never enforced this, the ordinance was still heavily criticized.
However, the ordinance was updated in 2019, raising the age limit to 14 and reducing the penalty to a class 4 misdemeanor, taking jail time out of the equation. "The idea that we would put teenagers that age in jail was just a horrible thought, obviously, and it angered a lot of people," said Mayor Rick West, according to 13 News Now. "It was embarrassing and something that we certainly weren't doing and it seemed somewhat unfair."
A State-Wide Limitation
Chesapeake and other Virginia towns such as Portsmouth, Gloucester, or Hampton, among others, also established a trick-or-treating time limit. All allow the activity to take place until 8 p.m. Chesapeake is the only town in Virginia that allows 14-year-olds to trick-or-treat. The rest set the age limit to 12.
The age limit is not only a Virginia rule but it is also a thing in some New Jersey towns. Specifically, Pennsauken in Camden County also banned any children above age 14 from trick-or-treating. "Trick or treating is for kids, not adults. Anyone over the age of 14 cannot go out trick or treating, unless you're acting as a chaperone," reads a statement posted on Pennsauken's official website. "And unfortunately, chaperones can't ask for any candy or treats. They have to wait until they get home to help their kids 'sort' the candy."
The age restrictions have raised debate among users on the Internet. Many argue that the rule is nonsensical and that they would gladly hand over candy to whoever shows up at their doorstep. Others agree with the age limit, due to security reasons. After all, you never know who will show up, knocking at your door. A fictional serial slasher could be the last of your worries when faced with real-life threats.
