How old is too old to go trick-or-treating? As Halloween approaches, Chesapeake, Virginia, the United States says the answer to that question is anyone over the age of 12.

City officials recently announced that doorbell-ringing candy seekers over the age of 12 could face a misdemeanor charge, up to six months in jail, and US$25 to US$100 fines. They’re far from alone: WAVY’s hrScene website reports that nine towns in Virginia have make it illegal for teens to trick-or-treat. The Associated Press reports that officials in Meridian, Mississippi, Bishopville, South Carolina, and Boonsboro, Maryland also have set the cutoff age at 12. The phenomenon isn’t limited to the United States: In 2017, Bathrust, a town in Canada, banned anyone older than 16.

There’s no widely accepted etiquette for who gets to trick-or-treat. Most kids naturally stop doing it when they become teenagers. Still, some parents believe they should preserve their kids’ childhood traditions as long as possible. This debate was the topic of a “Today” show segment in September 2017, and in an unofficial survey, 66 percent of viewers responded that there should be an age limit.

Officials say they won’t be actively looking to catch teenage trick-or-treaters in the act. The age limits, along with measures like curfews, are part of a broader push to limit pranks and vandalism. Some parents think that preventing older kids from participating in Halloween traditions will have the opposite effect. Hans Broedel, a University of North Dakota history professor and expert on early traditions, told the AP that “trick-or-treating in a large part is embraced in this country because it serves to cut down on teenage vandalism,” adding “telling teenagers they can’t go trick-or-treating isn’t going to stop them from going out on Halloween.”

A Facebook post last year argued that all kids, regardless of age, should be allowed to take part in trick-or-treating. It was shared more than 4,000 times, with close to 700 comments illustrating just how bitter this debate has gotten, according to The Kansas City Star.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【成规】chéngguī etiquette the conduct or procedure required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social life

【蓄意破坏】xùyì pòhuài vandalism willful or malicious damage or destruction of the property of another

几岁的孩子不再适合玩“不给糖就捣

蛋”？随着万圣节临近，美国弗吉尼亚州切萨皮克市的答案是，超过12岁就不适合玩这个游戏了。

切萨皮克市官员近日宣布，12岁以上的人按门铃要糖将会面临轻罪指控，最高可判处监禁6个月，罚款25美元到100美元

（173元人民币到690元人民币）。不光是切萨皮克市，WAVY旗下的hrScene网站报道称，弗吉尼亚州的9个城镇已经立法禁止青少年玩“不给糖就捣蛋”。美联社报道称，密西西比州的莫瑞典市、南卡罗来纳州的比夏普维尔市、马里兰州的布恩斯伯勒小镇的官员也都将这一年龄定在12岁。这一现象不仅限于美国：2017年加拿大的巴斯拉斯特镇禁止16岁以上的人玩“不给糖就捣蛋”。

对于几岁的人能玩“不给糖就捣蛋”没有普遍认可的标准。多数小孩在进入青春期后就自然地停止玩这个游戏了。但是，仍然有一些父母认为他们应该尽可能长久地保留孩子的童年传统。这个话题在2017年9月还上了《今日秀》，据非官方调查，66%的观众表示玩这个游戏应该有个年龄限制。

官员称，他们不会积极去抓捕那些玩“不给糖就捣蛋”游戏的青少年。玩这个游戏的年龄限制就和宵禁一样，是限制恶作剧和破坏行为的广泛措施之一。一些父母认为，不让大孩子参与万圣节传统游戏会产生反效果。北达科他大学历史系教授、早期传统专家汉斯·布勒德尔告诉美联社说，“不给糖就捣蛋游戏在美国被接受，很大程度上是因为它有助于减少青少年破坏行为”，他还说：“告诉青少年不准玩不给糖就捣蛋游戏并不能阻止他们在万圣节出门。”

据《堪萨斯城星报》报道，去年脸书的一个帖子指出，所有孩子，不论年纪多大，都应被允许参加“不给糖就捣蛋”游戏。这个帖子被分享了超4000次，评论近700条，足以说明讨论的激烈程度。

(Chinadaily.com.cn)