These days, both kids and adults delight in dressing up in all manner of costumes for Halloween; whether it's the latest pop culture icons or some classic character of literature, they can be fun. Yet, where did this all come from?
Originally, Halloween was a pagan celebration known as Samhain (pronounced Sow-in), and people believed that the spirits of the dead returned for that night. People used a two-fold method to protect themselves from being carried off. First, they left baskets of food at the edge of their villages as offerings, and second, they dressed up in elaborate costumes to hide from the dead. These were simple costumes of heavy cloth and a mask usually made to resemble a fierce animal.
When Samhain became the Eve of All Saints' Day - All Hallow's Eve - the Halloween costumes came in line with church doctrine: saints, nuns, monks and so on; although the occasional demon or ghost would creep in.
By the time the holiday came to America, in the latter part of the nineteenth century, it was seen as a time for adults to get together for a spirited party - with plenty of "spirits" - and no costumes. It wasn't until the Baby Boom that Halloween became a time of fun costumes as children dressed up in everything from pirates to policemen to spacemen outfits. Many clothing companies began manufacturing Halloween costumes and plastic masks but some of them were highly flammable. Over time, they were made safer and more elaborate. Also, more types of costumes were added as teens and adults began to wear them more often. People could dress as a favourite literary character, TV personality or pop culture icon. Today, people can dress up as anyone from Harry Potter to Dracula and even President Obama - and some would debate as to which is the most terrifying.
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