History of Halloween Costumes

The unknown side of Halloween

By Kayle Trombley, Staff Writer

Halloween costumes play an important role in Halloween for kids. As the day begins to end and the moon comes out, little kids get ready to get candy. They dress up to go trick-or-treating as their favorite character. As the years go by, Halloween costumes change according to what is popular.

Everyone wants to get a unique costume that they know no one else will wear. Every year Halloween costumes seem to take a turn for the worse. Some don’t look good or they are just way too much to handle.  Everyone has a different viewpoint on what they find appropriate and what they would like to wear while they are celebrating the holiday.

Despite the spooky tradition, not many know the history of costumes or why they became so popular. When people realize where they came from, their view on them often changes.

Halloween costumes supposedly started in Ireland over 2,000 years ago. Ancient Celtics dressed up in costumes to welcome the ghosts that they believed would cross-over into this world. They wanted them to feel welcomed and to give them a good time. As the ‘ghosts’ were crossing over, Druids (Celtic priests) thought that this was the prime-time to tell people their futures.

The Druids lined everyone up and told them their “future” and asked them about their past. They would build a bonfire and light it to make a sacrifice of their crops to the Celtic deities. While they celebrated, they dressed up in animal heads and skins. After the celebration is over, they re-light the bonfire to make a sacrifice to protect them from the winter months. They believed that winter was associated with something evil.

Even though the tradition of Halloween costume originated in Ireland, it eventually spread to other parts of the world. When it reached that part of the world, it began to blend with that religion. Every country has a different tradition that they celebrate, but it all originated in one place. After it blended with other parts of the world, it gave us the Halloween and costumes that we celebrate and wear today.