Two words: Free. Candy. What more could you ask for?

Halloween is the one day of the year when it is socially acceptable to go up to strangers’ doors and take their food. It’s the one day of the year when you can whip out the tutu that’s been sitting in the back of your closet, grab your deepest pillowcase, and hit the road while facing limited judgment.

Point is, Halloween is the one day of the year when social norms don’t apply, or at least it should be. If I want to dress up as Cookie Monster for the fifth year in a row, sprint across streets when I see an open bowl on a porch, and eat the equivalent of my weight in Twix bars and Swedish Fish, I can, and I gladly will.

So why are teenagers so worried about being judged for trick-or-treating? Why aren’t more of us hopping on this haunted bandwagon? After all, there is no point to Halloween if you’re not on a sugar-induced high the entire night.

As high schoolers, we don’t have many chances to preserve our childhood. We are being hit with college applications, pop quizzes, SATs, and sleep deprivation—the real causes of our own constant “spooky season.”

Trick-or-treating is a pure form of giddy, light-hearted fun that we need in our lives—and we can have it. All we have to do is pop on a witch hat and hop on a broomstick, hike up our self-confidence and ring a few doorbells. I’ve hit the streets decked out in ridiculous costumes with my best friends every year since kindergarten, and I don’t plan on stopping now. Take just an hour of your time on Oct. 31 to be a little kid again—and I promise you won’t regret it.

Besides, you’re going to appreciate that stash of candy while you’re stress-eating due to your next colossal test or your upcoming championship game or your infuriating group project partners. Trust me.