In a commercialized culture where greeting cards are obscenely expensive and stores insist on decorating earlier every year, Halloween stands out as an annual venture that we are almost societally required to partake in. For the most part, this is driven by parents who feel they must provide their children with the experience of ghouls, goblins, candy, and costumes. After all, parents most likely went trick-or-treating years ago when life was much simpler. They may even possess fond memories of those times.

But if parents choose not to let their kids participate in Halloween, the decision is met with shock. This is evidence that peer pressure, and not a worthwhile purpose, ultimately drives the day.