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Halloween costumes arecostumes worn onHalloween, typically whiletrick-or-treating (going door to door to ask for treats). Although traditionally based on frightening supernatural or folkloric beings, by the 1930s costumes based on characters frommass media—such asfilm,literature, and radio—gained popularity. Halloween costumes have traditionally been worn mainly by young people, but since the mid-20th century increasingly by adults as well.
The custom of wearing Halloween costumes may have originated in aCeltic festival held on October 31 to mark the beginning of winter, at which costumes were worn to ward off evil spirits.[1][unreliable source?] CalledSamhain inIreland andScotland and on theIsle of Man, butCalan Gaeaf inWales,Cornwall, andBrittany, the festival is believed to have pre-Christian roots. After theChristianization of Ireland in the 5th century, some of these customs may have been retained in the Christian observance of All Hallows' Eve in that region. Although the festival continued to be calledSamhain andCalan Gaeaf, it blended ancient traditions with Christian ones.[2][3] The time of year was seen as liminal, when spirits orfairies (theAos Sí) and the souls of the dead could more easily come to the world of the living.[4]
From at least the 16th century,[5] the festival includedmumming andguising,[6] which involved people going door to door in costume or disguise and usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food.[6] Originally, this may have been a tradition in which people impersonated theAos Sí or the souls of the dead and received offerings on their behalf. Impersonating these beings or wearing a disguise was also believed to protect oneself from them.[7] It has also been suggested that the mummers and guisers "personify the old spirits of the winter, who demanded reward in exchange for good fortune".[8]F. Marian McNeill suggests the ancient pagan festival included people wearing masks or costumes to represent the spirits, and that faces were marked or blackened with ashes from the sacred bonfire.[5]
In parts of southern Ireland, a man dressed as aláir bhán or white mare led youths house to house reciting verses—some with pagan overtones—in exchange for food. If the household gave food, it could expect good fortune, whereas not doing so would bring misfortune.[9] Similarly, in 19th-century England, youths went house to house with masked, painted, or blackened faces, often threatening to do mischief if they were not welcomed.[6]
In parts of Wales, men went about dressed as fearsome beings calledgwrachod,[6] while in some places, young peoplecross-dressed.[6]
Although mumming and costumes were part of other yearly festivals elsewhere in Europe, in Celtic-speaking regions, they were "particularly appropriate to a night upon which supernatural beings were said to be abroad and could be imitated or warded off by human wanderers".[6]
It has also been suggested that the wearing of Halloween costumes developed from the custom ofsouling, which was practiced byChristians in parts of Western Europe from at least the 15th century.[10][11] AtAllhallowtide, groups of poor people would go house to house, collectingsoul cakes—either as representatives of the dead[12] or in return for praying for them.[13] The Christian tradition of acknowledging thedanse macabre is also suggested as the origin of dressing up on Halloween.[14][15][16][17]
One 19th-century English writer said that Allhallowtide "used to consist of parties of children, dressed up in fantastic costume, who went round to the farmhouses and cottages, singing a song, and begging for cakes (spoken of as 'soul-cakes'), apples, money, or anything that the good wives would give them".[18] The soulers typically asked for "mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake".[19]Shakespeare mentioned the practice in his playThe Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593).[20][21] Christian minister Prince Sorie Conteh wrote on the wearing of costumes: "It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to thenext world. To avoid being recognized by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities".[22]
In the Middle Ages, statues andrelics ofmartyred saints were paraded through the streets at Allhallowtide. Some churches that could not afford these things had people dress as saints instead.[23][24] Some believers continue the practice of dressing as saints,biblical figures, andreformers in Halloween celebrations today.[25] Many Christians incontinental Europe, especially in France, believed that on Halloween, "the dead of the churchyards rose for one wild, hideous carnival," known as thedanse macabre, which has often been depicted inchurch decoration.[26] An article published byChristianity Today claimed thedanse macabre was enacted at village pageants andcourt masques, with people "dressing up as corpses from various strata of society" and suggested this was the origin of Halloween costume parties.[27][28]
The custom of guising at Halloween in North America was first recorded in 1911, when a newspaper inKingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood.[29] In 19th century America, Halloween was often celebrated with costume parades and "licentious revelries."[30] However, efforts were made to "domesticate" the festival to conform withVictorian-era morality. Halloween was made into a private rather than public holiday, celebrations involving liquor and sensuality were de-emphasized, and only children were expected to celebrate the festival.[31]
Early Halloween costumes emphasized the gothic nature of Halloween and were aimed primarily at children. Costumes were also made at home or using items (such as make-up) that could be purchased and utilized to create a costume. In the 1930s, A. S. Fishbach,Ben Cooper, and other firms began mass-producing Halloween costumes for sale in stores as trick-or-treating became popular in North America. Halloween costumes are often designed to imitatesupernatural and scary beings. Costumes are traditionally those of monsters such asvampires,werewolves,zombies,ghosts, andscarecrows.[32] Pop culture began to influence costumes afterWorld War II as costume production became more prevalent. By the late 20th century, television and movie characters, sexually suggestive, and "campy" costumes rose in popularity with the participation of more adults.[33]
Halloweencostume parties generally take place on or around October 31, often on the Friday or Saturday before the holiday. Halloween parties are the third most popular party type held in the United States, falling behind only to Super Bowl and New Year's Eve parties.[34]
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: Much of the research cited is quite old and thus not of much use today. In addition, the wording of this section is often predictive as if the years being referred to had not already passed.. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2025) |
In aNational Retail Federation (NRF) study in the United States, it was found that 53.3% of consumers planned to buy a Halloween costume in 2005, spending $38.11 on average, up $10 from the year before. They were also expected to spend $4.96 billion in 2006, up significantly from just $3.3 billion the previous year.[35] But the troubled economy caused many Americans to cut back on Halloween spending, and in 2009, the NRF anticipated that American households would decrease Halloween spending by as much as 15% to $56.31.[36]
In 2013, Americans spent an estimated $6.9 billion to celebrate Halloween, including a predicted $2.6 billion on costumes (with more spent on adult costumes than for children's costumes) and $330 million on pet costumes.[37][38] In 2017, it was estimated that Americans would spend $9.1 billion on Halloween merchandise, with $3.4 billion of that towards costumes.[39] Another survey by the NRF showed that 67% of Halloween shoppers would buy costumes, spending $3.2 billion in 2019.[40] It was estimated that the Halloween spending in 2022 would reach $10.6 billion.[41]
Halloween costumes in the contemporary Western world sometimes depict people and things from present times and are sometimes read in terms of their political and cultural significance.
When costumes uncritically use stereotypical representations of other groups of people such asgypsies andNative Americans, they are sometimes denounced forcultural appropriation.[42][43][44] For example,Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) SecretaryJulie Myers was involved in a scandal in 2008 at ICE's Halloween party when she made the Best Costume award to someone dressed as an "escaped Jamaican prisoner" withdreadlocks andblackface.[45]
Halloween costumes can also generate controversy through overt sexualization of many women's costumes,[46] despite a surprisingly long history of it.[47][48][49]
Later, it became the custom for poorer Christians to offer prayers for the dead, in return for money or food (soul cakes) from their wealthier neighbours. People would go 'souling' - rather like carol singing - requesting alms or soul cakes: 'A soul, a soul, a soul cake, Please to give us a soul cake, One for Peter, two for Paul, have mercy on us Christians all.'
Since the 16th century, costumes have become a central part of Halloween traditions. Perhaps the most common traditional Halloween costume is that of the ghost. This is likely because ... when Halloween customs began to be influenced by Catholicism, the incorporation of the themes of All Hallows' and All Souls' Day would have emphasized visitations from the spirit world over the motifs of spirites and fairies. ... The baking and allowing them to go door to door to collect them in exchange for praying for the dead (a practice called souling), often carrying lanterns made of hollowed-out turnips. Around the 16th century, the practice of going house to house in disguise (a practice called guising) to ask for food began and was often accompanied by recitation of traditional verses (a practice called mumming). Wearing costumes, another tradition, has many possible explanations, such as confusing the spirits or souls who visited earth or rose from local graveyards to engage in what was called a Danse Macabre, basically a large party among the dead.
Sometimes enacted as at village pageants, the danse macabre was also performed as court masques, the courtiers dressing up as corpses from various strata of society...both the name and the observance began liturgically as All Hallows' Eve.
Another contributor to the custom of dressing up at Halloween was the old Irish practice of marking All Hallows' Day with religious pageants that recounted biblical events. These were common during the Middle Ages all across Europe. The featured players dressed as saints and angels, but there were also plenty of roles for demons who had more fun, capering, acting devilish, and playing to the crows. The pageant began inside the church, then moved by procession to the churchyard, where it continued long into the night.
On the other hand the postmodern phenomenon of "antifashion" is also to be found in some Halloween costumes. Black and orange are a 'must' with many costumes. Halloween – like the medieval danse macabre – is closely connected with superstitions and it might be a way of dealing with death in a playful way.
The begging ritual, taken up by nonindigents and by children, involved the recitation of a souling rhyme, which typically requested "mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake."
Sometimes enacted as at village pageants, the danse macabre was also performed as court masques, the courtiers dressing up as corpses from various strata of society...both the name and the observance began liturgically as All Hallows' Eve.
On the other hand the postmodern phenomenon of "antifashion" is also to be found in some Halloween costumes. Black and orange are a 'must' with many costumes. Halloween - like the medieval danse macabre - is closely connected with superstitions and it might be a way of dealing with death in a playful way.
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