Despite Halloween being an almost global holiday, a substantial part of the world feels they cannot participate. While most little kids dress up and get free candy, teenagers feel neglected and get treated like the monsters they desperately want to dress up as.

As someone who has celebrated Halloween since her first opportunity to, learning that people find trick-or-treating in middle school “strange” hit me hard. One year, every house in the neighborhood complimented my costume and gave me handfuls of candy. The next year, the same houses barely opened their door, and if they did, they asked, “Aren’t you a little old for trick-or-treating?” before handing me two peppermints.

This attitude makes me and other trick-or-treaters sad, as our love for sweets and dress-up does not diminish with our age, despite popular adult thought.

However, I understand the skepticism of adults. Not every teenager goes out on Halloween night with the innocent intentions of simply getting as many Reese’s cups as possible. The poor image adults possess stems from the teenagers that do not even dress up, but insist on receiving candy. Halloween is not just for getting free lollipops, this holiday means much more.

On Halloween, people should celebrate the spooky spirits by dressing up and eating sweets. If one has no costume and just asks for candy, they are not celebrating the spooky spirits. They are simply taking people’s candy. If I were a teenager that trick-or-treated in an everyday outfit, I would understand the hostility I receive from parents. However, I am not.

For Halloween, I go all out. I put on pounds of face paint, wear my best costume, and smile whenever I knock on someone’s door. Why am I punished for a stereotype I obviously prove incorrect?

Not every teenager’s intentions are cruel and it seems easy to tell apart whose costume are and whose are not.  One will be dressed as a “teenager” and the other dressed in an actual costume, the latter deserving the sweet treats.

In this day and age, it may appear odd for anyone 18 and older to go around trick-or-treating. However, if an 18 year old feels the holiday spirit and decides to dress up and ask for candy, why should they not receive any? Most people that age host parties anyway, but if the occasional spirited adult were to show up at a doorstep, they deserve the treat as well.

Despite the creepiness of Halloween, this holiday can still bring people together. If a large portion of the world feels excluded, we deny each other another day of possible communion.

This Halloween, I urge others to celebrate the supernatural with anyone who legitimately attempts to celebrate too.