Halloween History and Costumes
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The custom of wearing Halloween costumes stems from the beliefs by the people from olden days that the barrier between the physical and spiritual realms would lapse that day when the veil is thinnest, thereby allowing dead souls to cross over and walk among the living. This was thought to let many evil spirits to come back from the dead and cause mischief and mayhem.
To confuse the spirits, people would dress themselves up in masks and make-up, and hopefully, hide their true living identity. Supposedly, they were emulating the dead, and dressing themselves as ghosts, zombies, and demons. It was also thought by some that costumes and masks would scare away the dead souls, and anything else that might have made its way through the veil. People of the old days would dress up as we do now. Some would wear full costumes, while others would just wear face paint or masks in imitation of devilish spirits that would come out for the day. Their belief was that if they could look less human, the ghosts would leave them alone.
For Europeans, the history of Halloween eventually changed into a celebration revolving around children. Over the years, these children began to dress up in Halloween costume as "ghosts", going from house to house asking for treats. If the unlucky home owners did not give them treats some tricks would be played on them. This Halloween tradition spread through immigration to America around the 1840s.
These ghost costumes are still popular these days. In fact there is now quite a list of regular classics such as ghosts, vampires, witches, and mummies keeping the traditional scariness in Halloween costumes. However in our more modern times there are film and television characters, cowboys, pumpkins, cheerleaders, sportsmen and women, and celebrities that have made the holiday a lighter fun occasion.
Today, there is an extremely wide variety of scary masks and costumes available as they are the most common. However, recently some people have decided to make their Halloween costumes even more original with all manner of unusual themes. They want to get away from all the many pirates, ghouls, and superheroes that abound on Halloween night. As always, the best outfit for you will be the one you feel most comfortable with. If you do not want to be too different, then do wear a classic Halloween costume. You will almost certainly be able to add an individual touch. Be sure to have fun with whichever of the Halloween costumes you decide to wear. You will find more information and Halloween ideas at http://halloweenstorecostumes.com
About the Author
James Bryan is a writer on traditional crafts and costumes. More information and Halloween ideas can be found at http://halloweenstorecostumes.com
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