To trick-or-treat…or not to trick-or-treat? That is the question- the answer of which should be left to the person doing the asking, and no one else. Certainly not your peers and their resulting pressure, and definitely not the town you’re living in.

Trick-or-treating is the ultimate staple of being a kid, and there’s no shame in trying to relive your glory days and well as relieve your stressful days. That is, as long you’re behaving yourself. Don’t terrorize small children and take their candy away a la Hocus Pocus. Say “thank you” to the adults who are throwing away their money on candy and their time on giving it to you. And for Jekyll’s sake, put some effort into your costume. Don’t throw two baseball caps on your head and declare yourself Sherlock Holmes for the evening. Other than that, you should be good.

But then, if your old man mentality takes over; if your joints are swelling and your back is aching and you’re just not up for it this year (or if you have too much homework thanks to WHAP), stay inside. And we mean INSIDE. No toilet paper, no eggs, and no…shenanigans. Turn the lights down, pop in a scary movie (“Dracula” is a classic choice), and chow down on junk food. And, if kids come a-knocking, give ‘em the candy you don’t want!

So to conclude, the best thing to do is to just celebrate the Halloween spirit however you see fit whether that be a scary movie night with friends or a night spent taking candy from your neighbors. If you feel like dressing up and going to get some free candy, more power to you. Your youthfulness is an inspiration to us all. But, if you feel like you’re too old for that kind of thing, there’s no shame in shacking up at home either.