Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Origin of Halloween Costumes (part 1 of 2)

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Remember when were kids that we had a great time donning those Halloween costumes we made or our parents have bought or rented for us? We gang up with the rest of the neighborhood kids and go around screaming “trick-or-treat!” like there’s no tomorrow, leaving our voices hoarse the next day. Well, we basically have experienced it, we let our kids practice it, but do we really know the origin of putting on Halloween costumes in the first place. Some of us may already know but for the benefit of those who don’t, here’s the story.

The origin of the celebration can be traced back to ancient Celtics. The have this feast called Samhain which is a festival held during the end of the harvest season and which is also the Celtic New Year.

According to Celts beliefs, during this time of the year, the spirits of the dead will go up to the surface world and try to posses living bodies for the year to come. To prevent there bodies from being possessed, Celts would light bonfires and dress up in all sorts of morbid costumes just to discourage the spirits of the dead from entering their bodies.

However, the practice of placing costumes in America can be traced to only as recent as the 1900s. It was only in the 1930s that Halloween costumes began to be mass produced. The usual costumes that people rent or make are those of different monsters including but not limited to vampires, ghosts, ghouls, demons, witches, and skeletons.

Even if it is the night that evil is supposed to surface, “good” costumes are also a common choice among children and adults alike. In fact, princess, fairy and angel costumes often times make it to the top ten list of top Halloween costumes.

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