For those of us who spend every day wearing the same old clothes all the time, Halloween offers us a chance to have some fun and be someone else for a night. At Halloween, young and old alike dress up and take to the streets or go to parties in Halloween costumes. They play at trick or treat. They dance, and play games like bobbing for apples.
Centuries ago, the ancient Celtic people believed that the late harvest season was a time when evil spirits walked the land at night. To keep these malicious spirits away, they lit lanterns which had been carved from turnips and burned them in their windows. These turnip lanterns had gruesome faces to scare away the wicked spirits and to keep the family inside safe.
Now, our Halloween festivities are for fun. They are not so much for fear. Although, there are some who still keep to the tradition to scare away the spirits that might linger at the time of the ancient Celtic New Year. Now, our Halloween is filled with fun and fancy themes, making them a great reason for everyone to get out and play.
When it comes to classic Halloween themes, many people keep to the traditional scary idea. They decorate their home with dancing skeletons, ghoulish lights and swirling mists. They dress up as the walking dead, skeletons, ghouls and witches. Many of these costumes come from mythical sources, so doing a bit of reading about world mythology may inspire you to putting together a ghoulish costume of your own.
Fairy tales are another source for inspiration with your costume. Girls love to dress up as princesses. Boys sometimes like to dress up as knights. Of course, there is more to fairy tales than princesses and knights. There are also the monsters that our heroes must overcome.
The silver screen is a great place to find inspiration for your next costume and your costume ball. Marilyn Monroe is a favorite, as are Harrison Ford and Humphrey Bogart. Any character from the movie screen can be a great way for you to make an entrance at the party. If you are going as a couple, there are a number of classic movie couples that you can your partner can go as. Think of Bonnie and Clyde, or Marc Anthony and Cleopatra as just a couple of big screen couples for your next event.
For some parties, history is the theme. Who could resist the charm of attending the ball as Marie Antoinette or Queen Victoria or Cleopatra? What man would not want to be King Tut or Julius Caesar or Abraham Lincoln? History is full of inspiration for those who seek it out. Make your entrance at the party and make history while you are at it.
Monsters, however, are a classic and timeless component of any party or Halloween event. You can go as a werewolf, or vampire or mummy or even as mythic monsters of the past. No matter which monster you choose to dress up as, you can count on being memorable for years to come.
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