Halloween was once an important Christian holiday in the British Isles, but it has since degenerated into something resembling devil vomit. Halloween is one of my least favorite holidays for a few reasons, but let me be clear: I don’t hate Halloween. I hate how Halloween is practiced.

Halloween originates from the U.K., where it was first created. It was originally called All Hallows’ Eve and took place the day before All Saints’ Day. However, we can trace Halloween back to the Celtic Festival of Samhain, where Celts danced around fires in costumes in order to scare off evil spirits. Halloween in the U.K. adopted some of these Celtic practices for its version of Halloween.

Halloween was originally an evening of preparation for the coming day of prayer. However, like Christmas, it has become too commercialized. Were it not for the massive amounts of money spent on it each year, Halloween probably would not be celebrated at all. Also, at least for Christmas, a large number of people still focus on the religious aspects of the holiday, worshipping the birth of the Lord instead of presents. Though, in Halloween, people worship candy, scary movies, and parties.

Trick-or-treating is fine by me, as long as you are not in high school. Some say that you can never outgrow trick-or-treating, but Halloween is for children. You have to grow up someday.

Another thing I hate about Halloween is that it gives adults permission to act like children. They use the holiday as a sad excuse to go to parties, but this time, they can go out in costumes. I give high school students a bit of a break because they’re in an awkward transitional stage and don’t know better. Adults, though, have to be more mature.

Personally, I spend my Halloween evening parked by my door, handing out candy to hordes of children. I always enjoy seeing the young children who can barely remember to say “trick-or-treat!” Conversely, I want to throw up when I see some high school guy in a sports jersey with a pillow case who glumly says “trick-or-treat.”

Halloween is a holiday for children, not for high school students, and it certainly isn’t for adults. People over the age of 12 need to leave the holiday for the kids and grow up.

Justin Hawkins is an Opinion Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.