in Ireland. The custom of wearing Halloween costumes may have originated in a
Celtic festival held on October 31 to mark the beginning of winter, at which costumes were worn to ward off evil spirits. Called
Samhain in
Ireland and
Scotland and on the
Isle of Man, but
Calan Gaeaf in
Wales,
Cornwall, and
Brittany, the festival is believed to have pre-Christian roots. After the
Christianization of Ireland in the 5th century, some of these customs may have been retained in the Christian observance of All Hallows' Eve in that region. Although the festival continued to be called
Samhain and
Calan Gaeaf, it blended ancient traditions with Christian ones. The time of year was seen as liminal, when spirits or
fairies (the
Aos Sí) and the souls of the dead could more easily come to the world of the living. From at least the 16th century, the festival included
mumming and
guising, which involved people going door to door in costume or disguise and usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. It has also been suggested that the mummers and guisers "personify the old spirits of the winter, who demanded reward in exchange for good fortune".
F. Marian McNeill suggests the ancient pagan festival included people wearing masks or costumes to represent the spirits, and that faces were marked or blackened with ashes from the sacred bonfire. Similarly, in 19th-century England, youths went house to house with masked, painted, or blackened faces, often threatening to do mischief if they were not welcomed. At
Allhallowtide, groups of poor people would go house to house, collecting
soul cakes—either as representatives of the dead or in return for praying for them. The Christian tradition of acknowledging the
danse macabre is also suggested as the origin of dressing up on Halloween. One 19th-century English writer said that Allhallowtide "used to consist of parties of children, dressed up in fantastic costume, who went round to the farmhouses and cottages, singing a song, and begging for cakes (spoken of as 'soul-cakes'), apples, money, or anything that the good wives would give them". The soulers typically asked for "mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake".
Shakespeare mentioned the practice in his play
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593). Christian minister Prince Sorie Conteh wrote on the wearing of costumes: "It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the
next world. To avoid being recognized by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities". In the Middle Ages, statues and
relics of
martyred saints were paraded through the streets at Allhallowtide. Some churches that could not afford these things had people dress as saints instead. Some believers continue the practice of dressing as saints,
biblical figures, and
reformers in Halloween celebrations today. Many Christians in
continental Europe, especially in France, believed that on Halloween, "the dead of the churchyards rose for one wild, hideous carnival," known as the
danse macabre, which has often been depicted in
church decoration. An article published by
Christianity Today claimed the
danse macabre was enacted at village pageants and
court masques, with people "dressing up as corpses from various strata of society" and suggested this was the origin of Halloween costume parties. as masquerade is popular on Halloween, often referring to horror
archetypes or various characters from movies or
TV shows The custom of guising at Halloween in North America was first recorded in 1911, when a newspaper in
Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood. In 19th century America, Halloween was often celebrated with costume parades and "licentious revelries." However, efforts were made to "domesticate" the festival to conform with
Victorian-era morality. Halloween was made into a private rather than public holiday, celebrations involving liquor and sensuality were de-emphasized, and only children were expected to celebrate the festival. Early Halloween costumes emphasized the gothic nature of Halloween and were aimed primarily at children. Costumes were also made at home or using items (such as make-up) that could be purchased and utilized to create a costume. In the 1930s, A. S. Fishbach,
Ben Cooper, and other firms began mass-producing Halloween costumes for sale in stores as trick-or-treating became popular in North America. Halloween costumes are often designed to imitate
supernatural and scary beings. Costumes are traditionally those of monsters such as
vampires,
werewolves,
zombies,
ghosts, and
scarecrows. Pop culture began to influence costumes after
World War II as costume production became more prevalent. By the late 20th century, television and movie characters, sexually suggestive, and "campy" costumes rose in popularity with the participation of more adults. Halloween
costume parties generally take place on or around October 31, often on the Friday or Saturday before the holiday. Halloween parties are the third most popular party type held in the United States, falling behind only to Super Bowl and New Year's Eve parties. ==Economics==