subject: The History Behind Some Of Your Favourite Halloween Costumes [print this page] There is a great deal of information out there on the history of Halloween; it's easy accessible online and in books. So, many of us know that around 2,000 years ago Celtic people celebrated the end of the harvest with a special party. In fact, October 31 was considered the end of their year, and November 1 their New Year. Because of this ending, the colder weather, and the end of the harvest seasons, these pagans felt that this time of year signified death, and that the spirits of the dead could pass through to the living and cause trouble.
As a result, the people wore scary masks and costumes to ward off these evil spirits. So, there is definitely a long history behind Halloween, but there is also history behind the costumes we wear. For example, military costumes are based on the clothing and footwear worn by soldiers fighting in various wars. Army uniforms have always been green in order to provide a more "military" colour and an outfit that was different from civilian service worker uniforms. Dog tags, which are often worn as accessories on army costumes, were worn by soldiers and were used to identify dead soldiers. Gangster costumes have been a popular part of Halloween for years.
They were a big part of illegal alcohol sales during Prohibition, and gangsters like Capone, Costello, and Bugsy Siegel became famous for their violent ways. Bonnie and Clyde were a well known gangster couple during The Great Depression. The duo was wanted for numerous robberies and murders and were ambushed in Louisiana in 1934. Today, you'll see guys and girls dresses up as gangsters on Halloween, wearing pinstriped suits and dresses, fedoras, and flapper costumes.
Even many sexy costumes have a history. For example, corsets became fashionable in the 16th century, and by the Victorian era almost every woman wore one. Women wore corsets that were tightly laced in order to make their waists appear small. Today, corsets are considered very sexy and are sold at many lingerie shops, but in the Victorian era they were simply undergarments. Over the years, undergarments such as the Merry Widow and the Basque became popular, shaping the style of lingerie we see today. In the 1980s, fetish wear came into style, and people started wearing underwear as outerwear, a trend made popular by pop artists such as Madonna.
Originally, people donned Halloween costumes for masquerade balls, before the holiday became a popular event for children. Actually, dressing up in costumes is a fairly recent tradition, developing in the 20th century. As Hollywood movies came into the mainstream, people started dressing up in spooky characters such as vampires and werewolves. It became an American tradition for kids to dress up in costumes and go door to door in their neighbourhoods, and trick or treating was born. Halloween is now a holiday enjoyed by millions of people around the world, with Halloween parties ranking as the third most popular event (after New Years and Superbowl parties).
