Since the pandemic, it appears that for many families trunk-or-treating has replaced trick-or-treating as their way of celebrating Halloween, hindering the new generations’ experience of it. 

Although Halloween is a time that most people my age use as an excuse to party their butts off or capture a couple of thirst traps, it was once a magical evening  for children. 

Trick-or-treating is magical, the costumes, the candy and the idea of walking around the neighborhood with friends and family, checking out others’ costumes, judging home decorations and searching for who has the best candy creates a spooky and adventurous environment that dazzled my young self.

This year the United States Census Bureau predicts that there are 133.2 million potential housing stops trick-or-treat stops nationwide for trick-or-treaters, with an estimated 73.1 million children under the age of 18 who may elect to go door-to-door. 

The alternative in recent years  is trunk-or-treating. Trunk-or-treat events confine the Halloween spirit into America’s most priced destination — the parking lot. 

Although it is seen as a safer and more convenient way for parents to celebrate with their children, its overly organized structure makes it a less spontaneously fun experience.

Trunk-or-treat events generally feature car displays where participants deck out their tailgates in themes like Jurassic Park, Nightmare Before Christmas, Barbie, or another hot topic of the year. 

These events are usually organized by schools, churches or other local organizations, which can possibly filter its participants into specific demographics. This has clearly damaged community involvement in the traditional trick-or-treating and there are less house decorations with ghosts, vampires and many other Halloween icons.

The sheltered environment of trunk-or-treating denies a child’s ability to live though natural and important experiences such as reading social cues, practicing how to dilute nervousness and learning how to communicate with others.

In an article posted on Children’s Minnesota website, Dr. Razaan Bryne, an outpatient pediatrician, said  “trick-or-treating is also a good opportunity for your child to learn about following rules, teaching them that if they’re under the age of 12, they should be accompanied by an adult, whether that’s you, a family friend or relative. They also learn how to work with others which will be important as they go through school.”

Bryne also said the experience will teach them to always “use sidewalks or paths and to stay out of the street, unless at a safe crosswalk.”

After asking several students at Delta if they think trunk-or-treating provides a similar experience to the traditional way, they all answered no.

They also agreed that trick-or-treating has definitely been affected by the pandemic and the emergence of alternative outlets of celebration.

Aaron Mendoza, a student at Delta, went as far as saying that trunk-or-treating “ruins the whole joy and occasion.”

I’m not saying people shouldn’t trunk-or-treat, all I’m saying is that trick-or-treating is a more beneficial and exciting experience for children.