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This is the time of the year where they’re able to get out and have fun with their family and friends, dressed up as a scary vampire, a ghost or any character they want. Most take inspiration from popular horror films they’ve seen and show up as Dracula, a witch, Leatherface and more. But do you know the history of Halloween costumes and when did people start wearing one?
It was said that people started wearing one on Halloween because of the Celtic festival of Samhain. This festival is celebrated on October 31 or November 1 in other nations. Starting in the 16th century, this particular Celtic festival included guising and mumming. Back then, people would disguise themselves in costume and recite songs and verses visiting houses in exchange for food. In the 19th century, Scottish youth would go and visit houses with either blackened, painted, or masked faces. Unless they were welcomed, they would threaten to do mischief, or in modern-day term “pranks,” to the owners of the house.
In addition, men in Wales would dress up as gwrachod (Welsh term for fearsome beings) while young people would often cross-dress during the festival. In other parts of Europe, dressing up and mumming were a common thing to do especially during annual festivals. However, in Celtic Europe, this tradition was said to be only particularly appropriate during nights when beings from the other side could be warded off and imitated by humans.
The origin of trick or treating, on the other hand, has been connected to Christian customs where groups of children dressed up in costumes and going around houses singing songs and begging for cakes or money. Today, the practice of dressing up in colourful and scary costumes is still common during Halloween among some believers.
Nowadays, Halloween costumes are available in different shapes, sizes, shades and varieties. You can show up as a superhero, a cute or sexy zombie nurse, a horror film character and others. The idea continues evolving with the changing times – to such an extent that current trends even include military uniforms and fighting gear.
Unique Costume Suggestions
As adults, we may not go around knocking on people’s doors asking for candy, but we still like to get into the spirit of things with fancy dress parties. We all know about the common adult Halloween fancy dress options like witches, vampires, and devils. But, if you are looking for something unique, read on.
The last thing you want to do is turn up to a party wearing the same outfit as ten other people. One unique option is to dress as Anatomy Man, where you will wear a full bodysuit that is made to look like the inside of your body, displaying all of your muscles. It’s certainly a creepy costume and not one that anyone would expect.
Another way to make your outfit different from the rest is to combine two options in one, for instance, you could make career costumes scary by opting for a zombie surgeon’s outfit. We always see a lot of skeletons and pirates at Halloween, but why not combine the two to create a ghost pirate? Team a skeleton bodysuit with typical pirate attire for an eerie Halloween costume, such as red socks from Stand4Socks, an eye-patch and a pirate hat.
If you want to stand out in a crowd of people, a full gorilla suit is certainly a good option. It may not be the scariest outfit in the world, but it will make a massive impact, and when do you see loads of gorillas at a fancy dress party? If you find a quality retailer, you are bound to find some exciting creations that you hadn’t thought of.
