When Halloween arrives everyone decides on
which Halloween costume to wear, selects
decorations for their home, plans parties and
costume balls.
Children eagerly look for the right zombie
and witch costume, dream of the candy they
get while trick-or-treating, draw pictures
and make their own decorations and
Halloween zombie, dracula and witch
costumes.
which Halloween costume to wear, selects
decorations for their home, plans parties and
costume balls.
Children eagerly look for the right zombie
and witch costume, dream of the candy they
get while trick-or-treating, draw pictures
and make their own decorations and
Halloween zombie, dracula and witch
costumes.
We adults also love a scare, which is not surprising. A recent poll shows that
one in three of us believe in ghosts and one in five believe in witchcraft.
Halloween is one of the most popular holidays after Christmas and just about
everyone looks forward to it. We have provided scary stories to get you in
the mood, instructions to make your own Halloween costume if money is tight
and lots of ready- made Halloween costumes in our store to delight you and
your family.
On Halloween, witches around the country gather in Salem Massachusetts to
perform their rituals and celebrate the holiday. Our web site discusses their
beliefs and practices.
We have provided the legends behind many Halloween costume characters and the scientific reasons they became legends. We include Dracula, werewolves, zombies and of course witches costumes and jewelry.
Origin of Halloween
Halloween was not always a day of costumes, fearless fun and candy galore.
Centuries ago Halloween, formerly called All Hallows' Eve, comes from the
Celtic feast of Samhain, which marked the end of summer.
In Northern Europe, the arrival of November meant the arrival of dreary,
dark, barren, cold, wet days. With dark times ahead, fire and protection were
needed on October 31st. With this in mind the rural folks lit huge bonfires on
hilltops to frighten away evil spirits and held rites and sacrifices to please
the gods and demons and all the things beyond their control.
For months to come they had nothing but time and fear on their hands, and
soon lots of sinister Halloween ceremonies sprung up, such as mock funerals,
mask wearing, Halloween costumes, games, and sacrifices.
Somewhere along the line, October 31, or Halloween, became the only day of
the year in which it was believed the devil could be invoked for help in finding
out about future marriages, health, deaths, crops, and what was to happen in
the new year.
Throughout ancient Britain and Ireland there were Halloween costumes worn,
games played and rituals performed, mostly to find out who would marry whom.
On Halloween, one could hear young women chanting formulas as they went out and plowed the earth at midnight and sewed seed for the Spring crop.
Uneducated and superstitious, they believed if the woman looked over her
shoulder while planting the crop by the light of the moon, she might catch a
glimpse of the figure of her future husband.
Meanwhile back in people's houses Halloween activities were in full force.
Coins and apples were put in tubs of water and party goers dressed in
costumes dunked their heads into tubs to try to capture the objects with
their teeth and of course, they would wear scary hand sewn witch costumes.
Snatching a coin or an apple meant a happy New Year was in store. Out of all
these Halloween activities emerged "Mischief Night."
In the last century, immigrants, especially the Irish, brought their
mischiefmaking customs to the United States. On Halloween boys and young
men wearing dark Halloween costumes broke windows and overturned outhouses.
Then, perhaps to control the damage, someone started the Halloween
custome of "trick or treat" for the little kids. However, if a trick was to be
played, the boy was told to beware of the jack-o'-lanterns or hollowed out
pumpkins with sharp teeth and an eerie glow. They were watching you.
The day after Halloween, All Saints' Day, went to the other extreme in its
activities and rituals. It was time to repent for the mischief and trickery one
caused and to remember the holy people who came before you.
Halloween has become a symbol of fun, lots of candy and the wearing of
zombie, vampire, dracula, pirate, princess and witch costumes.
By far the biggest change in contemporary American entertainment habits is that people now spend more on Halloween costumes than they do on other "holidays," apart from Christmas. People buy tubes of fake blood, plastic pumpkins, and ghoul Halloween costumes, zombie Halloween costumes and lots of Halloween decorations.
Last Halloween I saw a child say, "Mommy, look! A circle of ghosts in Halloween costumes!"
The children are straining against their seatbelts in excitement as they drive past the most fancy Halloween decorated homes in the neighborhood. Ten years ago, all you would see was a pumpkin sitting on the porch. Now we see scary critters in Halloween costumes dangling from ropes tied to a roof and dummies in Halloween witch costumes sitting on lawns with a lighted cauldron next to her.
"Over there! A giant spider web! Wow!" Children yell out.
Or they say, "Look, they've got a graveyard in their yard!"
What is interesting about the Halloween phenomenon is that today its celebration is not about death, or life, or fall. It is a completely content-free, dark-caped day that kids and adults can put on whatever Halloween costume they want and pretend they are someone or something else.
Halloween had been a low-grade thrill experienced chiefly by the very young. Halloween costumes wear handmade from the contents of our dress-up trunks and children marched out into the dusk to petition the neighbors for candy apples and sweets.
Today, Halloween is celebrated by more adults than children. Young adults wear Halloween costumes and rush out to a friend’s Halloween party. They are dressed in the most sought after Halloween costume. When they arrive, they are greeted by the scariest of beings. The house is dark and has Halloween decorations to make it look like you are entering a dark cave. There are Frankenstein windsocks, decorative skulls and many dummies dressed in Halloween costumes. The invited guests receive spider rings, witch hats and lots of Halloween candy. They play games and dance and have a great escape from the rigors and demands of our new society.
Instead of just the children wearing Halloween costumes adults of all ages can feel comfortable wearing a witch Halloween costume, vampire Halloween costume, Dracula Halloween costume or a monster zombie Halloween costume to transform ourselves into the vampire, Dracula, witch or monster we always wanted to be.
one in three of us believe in ghosts and one in five believe in witchcraft.
Halloween is one of the most popular holidays after Christmas and just about
everyone looks forward to it. We have provided scary stories to get you in
the mood, instructions to make your own Halloween costume if money is tight
and lots of ready- made Halloween costumes in our store to delight you and
your family.
On Halloween, witches around the country gather in Salem Massachusetts to
perform their rituals and celebrate the holiday. Our web site discusses their
beliefs and practices.
We have provided the legends behind many Halloween costume characters and the scientific reasons they became legends. We include Dracula, werewolves, zombies and of course witches costumes and jewelry.
Origin of Halloween
Halloween was not always a day of costumes, fearless fun and candy galore.
Centuries ago Halloween, formerly called All Hallows' Eve, comes from the
Celtic feast of Samhain, which marked the end of summer.
In Northern Europe, the arrival of November meant the arrival of dreary,
dark, barren, cold, wet days. With dark times ahead, fire and protection were
needed on October 31st. With this in mind the rural folks lit huge bonfires on
hilltops to frighten away evil spirits and held rites and sacrifices to please
the gods and demons and all the things beyond their control.
For months to come they had nothing but time and fear on their hands, and
soon lots of sinister Halloween ceremonies sprung up, such as mock funerals,
mask wearing, Halloween costumes, games, and sacrifices.
Somewhere along the line, October 31, or Halloween, became the only day of
the year in which it was believed the devil could be invoked for help in finding
out about future marriages, health, deaths, crops, and what was to happen in
the new year.
Throughout ancient Britain and Ireland there were Halloween costumes worn,
games played and rituals performed, mostly to find out who would marry whom.
On Halloween, one could hear young women chanting formulas as they went out and plowed the earth at midnight and sewed seed for the Spring crop.
Uneducated and superstitious, they believed if the woman looked over her
shoulder while planting the crop by the light of the moon, she might catch a
glimpse of the figure of her future husband.
Meanwhile back in people's houses Halloween activities were in full force.
Coins and apples were put in tubs of water and party goers dressed in
costumes dunked their heads into tubs to try to capture the objects with
their teeth and of course, they would wear scary hand sewn witch costumes.
Snatching a coin or an apple meant a happy New Year was in store. Out of all
these Halloween activities emerged "Mischief Night."
In the last century, immigrants, especially the Irish, brought their
mischiefmaking customs to the United States. On Halloween boys and young
men wearing dark Halloween costumes broke windows and overturned outhouses.
Then, perhaps to control the damage, someone started the Halloween
custome of "trick or treat" for the little kids. However, if a trick was to be
played, the boy was told to beware of the jack-o'-lanterns or hollowed out
pumpkins with sharp teeth and an eerie glow. They were watching you.
The day after Halloween, All Saints' Day, went to the other extreme in its
activities and rituals. It was time to repent for the mischief and trickery one
caused and to remember the holy people who came before you.
Halloween has become a symbol of fun, lots of candy and the wearing of
zombie, vampire, dracula, pirate, princess and witch costumes.
By far the biggest change in contemporary American entertainment habits is that people now spend more on Halloween costumes than they do on other "holidays," apart from Christmas. People buy tubes of fake blood, plastic pumpkins, and ghoul Halloween costumes, zombie Halloween costumes and lots of Halloween decorations.
Last Halloween I saw a child say, "Mommy, look! A circle of ghosts in Halloween costumes!"
The children are straining against their seatbelts in excitement as they drive past the most fancy Halloween decorated homes in the neighborhood. Ten years ago, all you would see was a pumpkin sitting on the porch. Now we see scary critters in Halloween costumes dangling from ropes tied to a roof and dummies in Halloween witch costumes sitting on lawns with a lighted cauldron next to her.
"Over there! A giant spider web! Wow!" Children yell out.
Or they say, "Look, they've got a graveyard in their yard!"
What is interesting about the Halloween phenomenon is that today its celebration is not about death, or life, or fall. It is a completely content-free, dark-caped day that kids and adults can put on whatever Halloween costume they want and pretend they are someone or something else.
Halloween had been a low-grade thrill experienced chiefly by the very young. Halloween costumes wear handmade from the contents of our dress-up trunks and children marched out into the dusk to petition the neighbors for candy apples and sweets.
Today, Halloween is celebrated by more adults than children. Young adults wear Halloween costumes and rush out to a friend’s Halloween party. They are dressed in the most sought after Halloween costume. When they arrive, they are greeted by the scariest of beings. The house is dark and has Halloween decorations to make it look like you are entering a dark cave. There are Frankenstein windsocks, decorative skulls and many dummies dressed in Halloween costumes. The invited guests receive spider rings, witch hats and lots of Halloween candy. They play games and dance and have a great escape from the rigors and demands of our new society.
Instead of just the children wearing Halloween costumes adults of all ages can feel comfortable wearing a witch Halloween costume, vampire Halloween costume, Dracula Halloween costume or a monster zombie Halloween costume to transform ourselves into the vampire, Dracula, witch or monster we always wanted to be.
Halloween, is the Most
Exciting Time of the Year
Exciting Time of the Year
