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Halloween, also known as All Hallow’s Eve, is a tradition that occurs in nearly every country around the world. Up until about a century ago, it was celebrated by just a few countries, specifically with pagan backgrounds. It is often celebrated with candy, treats, tricks, and costumes. It has also become big business for many stores to sell candy, decorations, and Halloween costumes throughout the month of September and October in preparation for Halloween.
These Halloween costumes often reflect just about everything the imagination can represent. Some people prefer to make their own Halloween costumes, while others buy them at a local Halloween store or even Walmart.
Traditional Halloween costumes usually include Mummies, Ghosts, Vampires, Werewolves, etc. More traditional Halloween costumes reflect the society of today, specifically recent or popular movies, with children dressing as their favorite characters, such as Wolverine, Spiderman, The Hulk, Captain America, Thor, or any other characters from the Marvel Comics and Marvel Movies.
There are also plenty of other more revealing costumes, with young girls usually wearing more sexier revealing outfits, portraying nurses, librarians, teachers, etc. As people grow older, some may lose the desire for dressing up in Halloween costumes or for the holiday altogether, while others still embrace the tradition to dress up for parties or even to go trick or treating, usually with their children, who they might just be using as an excuse to go trick or treating!
This infographic, courtesy of neomam.com, explores the history of Halloween costumes.
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A HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN COSTUMES
FROM SPIRITS TO SUPERHEROES, HERE’S HOW HALLOWEEN COSTUMES HAVE EVOLVED OVER THE CENTURIES.
NOV 1 WAS DECLARED ‘ALLHALLOWSMAS’, COMMONLY CALLED ‘ALL HALLOWS’ DAY’. THE NIGHT BEFORE IT BECAME KNOWN AS ‘ALLHALLOWE’EN’, WHICH WHAT WE NOW CALL HALLOWEEN.
ANGEL | DEVIL | GHOST
WITH MILLIONS OF IRISH PEOPLE IMMIGRATING TO AMERICA, HALLOWEEN BECAME POPULARIZED NATIONALLY.
DEMON | GHOST | WITCH
THE FIRST REPORTS OF TRICK-OR-TREATING APPEAR.
CHARLIE CHAPLIN | PIERROT | HOBO
THE BELLHOP COSTUME WAS POPULAR DUE TO PHILLIP MORRIS ADVERTISING. THE FIRST MASS-PRODUCED HALLOWEEN COSTUMES APPEAR.
GYPSY | JESTER | BELLHOP
SUPERMAN COMICS FIRST PUBLISHED, 1938
THE MASK OF ZORRO FILM RELEASED, 1940
SUPERMAN | ZORRO | DAVY CROCKETT
AQUAMAN COMICS FIRST PUBLISHED, 1962
SPACE GHOST CARTOON FIRST BROADCAST, 1966
THE ADDAMS FAMILY FIRST BROADCAST, 1964
AQUAMAN | WEDNESDAY ADDAMS | SPACE GHOST
EVEL KNIEVEL AMERICAN DAREDEVIL
STAR WARS EPISODE IV RELEASED, 1977
SUPERMAN FILM RELEASED, 1978
EVEL KNIEVEL | PRINCESS LEIA | SUPERMAN
THRILLER MUSIC VIDEO RELEASED, 1983
SPLASH FILM RELEASED, 1984
RUBIK’S CUBE POPULAR 80’S TOY
MICHAEL JACKSON | MERMAID | RUBIK’S CUBE
STAR WARS EPISODE i RELEASED, 1999
SAILOR MOON ANIME TV SERIES BROADCAST, 1992
TOY STORY RELEASED, 1995
101 DALMATIANS RELEASED, 1996
JEDI | SAILOR MOON | BUZZ LIGHTYEAR | CRUELLA DE VIL
THE MUMMY RELEASED, 1999
1ST HARRY POTTER FILM RELEASED, 2001
SPIDERMAN FILM RELEASED, 2002
MUMMY | HERMOINE GRANGER | SPIDERMAN
TIM BURTON’S ALICE IN WONDERLAND FILM
CAPTAIN AMERICA RELEASED
GREEN LANTERN FILM RELEASED
FINAL HARRY POTTER FILM RELEASED
ALICE IN WONDERLAND | CAPTAIN AMERICA | PRINCESS | GREEN LANTERN | HARRY POTTER
… WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DRESS UP AS? HERE’S SOME INSPIRATION FROM POP CULTURE THIS YEAR.
KATNISS EVERDEEN | CATWOMAN | THE DOCTOR
childcare & early learning
Matthew Gates is a freelance web designer and currently runs Confessions of the Professions.