Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day or All Saints’ Day… there are many festivities that, throughout the planet, define the culture of humanity. But, among the most universal, Halloween has been growing strongly. This festivity, which is directly associated with the Anglo-Saxon culture, has been gaining followers both in European lands and in Latin American countries. There are many curiosities and traditions that gathers this celebration. But this time, we want to focus on why we dress up on Halloween… And it is that the costumes of witches, zombies and skeletons predominate on this night, in which there is also room for other customs such as the popular trick or treat. But, have you ever wondered about the origin of Halloween costumes? Today in Supercurioso, we tell you.
Halloween, a festival of Celtic origin
Before going fully into why we dress up on Halloween, it is necessary to know a little about the context of the Halloween’s history. And it is that this party has an origin that goes far beyond candy and costumes…
In fact, is inspired by Samhain, a Celtic festival named after the lord of death. The Celts were of the belief that there was a barrier that separated the world of humans and the world of spirits. The day that we celebrate today as Halloween, was for them the end of summer, the only day of the year in which the living and the dead mixed.
And this has a direct relationship with the origin of Halloween costumes, as well as other types of traditions of the darkest night of the year. Let’s see…
The origin of Halloween costumes
The answer to why we dress up for Halloween has little to do with fashion or style. Rather, it is a tradition with deep spiritual roots. What the ancient people believed was that darkness was dangerous. That on that night when the dead mixed with the living, they could harm the beings that still remained on the earthly plane…
Then, The origin of Halloween costumes can be summed up in one thing: fear.
The Celts believed that if they started wearing ghost, undead, zombie, skull or witch masks, they would manage to blend in with the dead and go unnoticed.
Or they would even manage to scare them, keeping themselves safe from their evil. It was a way to mislead the ghosts, who according to the belief came out that night, the longest night of the year, in search of defenseless spirits.
Halloween in the world
The antiquity of the Halloween party has not only not made it lose its validity, but, on the contrary, it is a celebration that gains more fans every day. The halloween in the world grows by leaps and bounds, to the point that it has begun to be celebrated in countries such as Spain, and several Latin American nations. But its place of greatest power and relevance is the United States.
In the first Halloween celebrations in the United States, the tradition included the organization of public parties, in which the neighbors danced, sang and guessed their luck. It was also part of the tradition to sit in groups to share stories of ghosts and witches.
In the middle of the 19th century, Halloween parties were common, but they were not yet celebrated throughout the country. This became widespread with the arrival of new Irish immigrants in the second half of the century.
Why do we dress up on Halloween nowadays?
We have already seen that the origin of Halloween costumes is very old, and has a direct relationship with the fear of ghosts and evil spirits. But at present, evolution has caused most of those fears to be dispelled. So why do we still dress up on Halloween?
Well, it’s all about an evolution of tradition, in which they gradually integrate symbolisms.
The contribution of North Americans to the Halloween party was soon felt, with the custom of trick or treating. During this night it began to become a tradition for people to dress up and go out into the street. Knocking door to door in the neighborhood where they lived, they went begging for sweets and treats.
So, over time, the party acquired a somewhat more childlike connotation. Gangs of boys went with their saucepans and returned to their homes happy and full of sweets. The origin of Halloween costumes mutated and was updated, to respond to the needs and tastes of those who currently celebrated the party.
So, in addition to witches, ghosts, ghosts and the undead, costumes were added. Some went in the same line, betting on terrifying figures such as the headless man, Frankenstein or the mummy. But the place was also opened to other more innocent costumes, with which the smallest of the household could identify.
Some examples of them are the costumes of animals, fairies, superheroes and other figures with which the children’s imagination flies. Of course, the outfits are usually accompanied by makeup and hairstyle, which complement a terrifying or charming look, as the case may be.
And you, Did you know why we dress up on Halloween? Do they celebrate tonight in your city or in your country? Have you ever used a costume to have fun at this party? Which has it been? Feel free to share your opinions and comments with us. We will be happy to read you! See you in an upcoming supercurious article!