We don Halloween costumes for fun, but the origins of this ancient custom go back to 2,000 years ago, when Celts wore crude costumes to celebrate Samhain. Halloween costumes have a long, somewhat dark history that we've thrown out in the spirit of treat-or-treating cheer, and some Christians refuse to celebrate it because of its pagan origins. So what are the true origins of Halloween costumes, what is Samhain, and how did this tradition develop into what it is today?

The Ancient Origins of Halloween Costumes

The ancient origins of Halloween costumes originate from 2,000 years ago, from a sacred Celtic festival called Samhain. Pronounced sow-en, Samhain was an important festival in Celtic culture, celebrating the end of a year and representing the final harvest for farmers. Since Samhain signified the end of a year, Celts also associated it with human death. They believed that on the night of October 31st, ghosts returned to earth, causing trouble for the living. They also believed it made it easier for Druids to make predictions about the future.

Celts would celebrate this ancient holiday by drawing huge bonfires, built by Druids. They would burn crops and animals in the bonfire as sacrifices to Celtic gods and goddesses, while donning costumes made from animal heads and skin. These were the ancient origins of today's Halloween costumes.

By 43 A.D., Romans ruled most of Celtic territory. During the Romans' 400 year rule over the Celts, their traditions combined to create a new Samhain. Celts soon celebrated a historical Roman holiday called Feralia, celebrated in late October. Feralia honored the passing of the dead, which was very similar to Samhain's traditions. The day after that was set aside to honor the Roman goddess Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. It's believed that the origins of bobbing for apples came from this.

The Origins of Christian Rule on Halloween

Christianity had spread into Celtic territory by the 800s. In an attempt to eradicate Samhain, Pope Boniface IV made November 1 All Saints' Day, making the Celtic festival a church-approved holiday. All Saints' Day was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas, and the night before All Saints' Day was called All-hallows Eve. In the year 1000 the Catholic Church made November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was very similar to Samhain because they also drew huge bonfires. Christians would usually light big bonfires, dressed up in Christian-approved Halloween costumes (such as a saint or devil) and have parades, honoring the dead.

During the celebrations, poorer residents begged for food. Families would give these residents soul cakes, a type of pastry -- but only if they prayed for their family's dead relatives. The church encouraged families to do this instead of leaving out food during the night. The church wanted to curb non-residents from entering the city and taking advantage of the free food. These were the origins of trick-or-treating.

All-hallows Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day were celebrated for many centuries, collectively called Hallowmas. This holiday eventually turned into what we know today as Halloween. Happy Halloween!

The Origins of Halloween Costumes in North America

When Europeans immigrated to colonial America in the 1700s, they also brought the tradition of Samhain-inspired Halloween. Halloween wasn't celebrated openly at first because Christians believed it was a pagan holiday, but it was openly celebrated in Maryland. The meshing of different ethnic groups, including the Native Americans, formed a new form of Halloween, closely matching modern America's version of Halloween. The first official celebrations included public events celebrating the last harvest, where people would tell stories of the dead, read each other's fortunes, and dance. Halloween didn't truly become a holiday until the 1800s, when an influx of immigrants moved to America.

When European immigrants flooded America in the 1800s, Halloween surged into American tradition, transforming into today's version of this popular holiday. Americans wore Halloween costumes to celebrate the holiday, going from house to house asking for food or money. This was the start of modern America's historical trick-or-treat tradition.

During the late 1800s, Americans tried to change the pagan theme of Halloween into a more acceptable, kid-friendly holiday with appropriate Halloween costumes. They emphasized community and get-togethers rather than the theme of ghosts and witchcraft. During the beginning of the twentieth century, parents were encouraged to remove any pagan-themed costumes out of Halloween celebrations. For the most part that didn't work, thanks to America's budding movie industry.

Halloween Costumes Return To Their Pagan Roots By The Twentieth Century

By the 1920s, Halloween became a non-religious holiday focused on community entertainment, including big parades. In 1920, Anoka, Minnesota was the first city to hold an official citywide Halloween celebration. It's believed the origins of modern trick-or-treating, modern day Halloween, Halloween costumes, and Halloween parades came from Anoka's first celebrations. Today Anoka regards itself as the Halloween Capital of the World.
By the 1950s, Halloween evolved into a children's holiday. Every Halloween children dressed up in their scariest costumes (movies such as The Wizard of Oz and Dracula revived these creepy Halloween costumes) and walked from door to door, yelling "Trick or treat!", opening up their bags for a tasty treat. Many beliefs about paganism's connection with Halloween dissolved, allowing this sinister holiday to blossom into what it is today.
By 2000, Halloween costumes were a booming industry, making it America's second biggest holiday. Halloween costumes also catered to adults, providing sexy costumes such as the naughty nurse for adult after-parties. This is the end of its evolution in modern day America.
These Halloween costumes have come a long way from its origins in Celtic Ireland, transforming from costumes used to celebrate a serious Pagan holiday into a fun, kid-friendly holiday. The history of these Halloween costumes probably won't end until the holiday itself dies out -- and that future isn't going to happen in our lifetime.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/the-historical-origins-of-halloween-costumes-343834.html

About the Author:

Paul Hulse is the webmaster of the Halloween Costumes store InCostume.com Please visit us for more information on our Adult Halloween Costumes

When decorating your home for the Halloween holiday, you can keep things simple and cheap by using printable Halloween stencils. This gives you the ability to do more decorating with little expense, as well as using some of your creativity. With the introduction of computers and printers, this has never been easier.

You can find all the printable stencils for Halloween you could ever imagine online through a number of websites. They are all free and give you very clear instructions on how to use them. This allows you to print out multiple sets of stencils while bringing a whole new level to your decorating options. They can actually make you look like an artist.

Children of all ages will have fun printing out their stencils and making their Halloween decorations for the house. Allowing your children to participate in the Halloween decorating gives them a sense of personal achievement, and shows them that this is for them also. They love to be included in things such as decorating the house for holidays, and printable Halloween stencils gives them this opportunity to be creative little goblins.

You can use these stencils to make collages for the windows with washable paint. Having a moon and flying bats swarming around a witch flying on a broom stick will be loved by the entire neighborhood. The scene is only limited by your imagination and the time you spend looking for your stencils. When you do find them, you will be amazed at the variety of printable stencils that are available.

These easy, simple decorating tools will allow you to spend even more time getting your party theme together, and making sure you have enough candy for all those kids that will arrive on Halloween night. It must be said that printable Halloween stencils will save you loads of time and money in the long run. They can be used over and over again, year after year. This cuts down on having to buy cheaper decorations from major stores that never seem to make it through the night, let alone through to next year.

Once you find your printable Halloween stencils, all you have to do is save them to your computer, print them out, and cut out the image. Then it’s just a matter of using them as a stencil and making decorations that everyone will remember. Using washable paints and markers is probably the easiest way to use your stencils. However, you can also use them as cut outs to make fabric or cardboard decorations that your children can color or paint in the way they want to see them. Let them have fun with decorating their creations. Sit back and watch the smiles spread widely across their happy little faces.

There are many scary things at Halloween, but none as scary as the Halloween skeleton costumes. It seems that many people, both young and old, are attracted to the skeleton. Just the thought of bones is what scares most people. Therefore, at Halloween time the most number of costumes that are seen running around town has at least part of a skeleton attached to it.
 
It is very easy to make your own skeleton costume. Most people buy costumes year after year, but with the rising costs these days, it is cheaper to take a few minutes of time and make your own. It only takes a few supplies and some imagination to fashion your very own designer Halloween skeleton costume. Doing it this way is also more fun than just buying it off the rack.

Take any black shirt you may have laying around and use that as your starting point. This can be a t- shirt or a sweatshirt. Whatever plain black shirt you have will work. If you don’t have a black one, navy blue works just as well. You can make a full skeleton costume by adding a pair of black pants, such as sweat pants. Pieces of cardboard and white chalk, or fabric chalk, are other supplies you will need.

  Once you have your supplies assembled, you can get started making your Halloween skeleton costume. Cut the cardboard to fit inside the arms of the shirt, if you have chosen a long sleeved one. Another piece of cardboard should be cut to fit inside the chest of the shirt. Once the cardboard is inside the shirt, lay it on a flat surface. Use your white chalk or fabric chalk to draw bones on the shirt. If you happen to be doing this for a child, let this be a learning experience by explaining what bones go where as you are drawing them. Even if you aren’t an artist, this will still be fun.

The bones you will want to be sure are there include the neck bones, back bones, ribs, and possibly the hip bones. You can add gloves to the costume if you want, and draw in finger bones. The design for your Halloween skeleton is limited only by your imagination.
 
Not only is this costume rather spooky, but it can be made on the spur of the moment. It is one that can be worn for Trick or Treating, or to an adult party. So, it is quite versatile. To top off the costume, you have the option of either painting your face white, or wearing a simple white mask.

However you choose to make your costume look, you will know that it didn’t cost too much money, and it will be just the right size. That’s even more of a reason to create your own Halloween skeleton costume.