On October 31st of every year, people who enjoy Halloween wear different costumes, and many people enjoy seeing them. In particular, the number of people wearing outfits by making costumes themselves is increasing. They even look more like the characters nowadays. Let’s find out why this trend is popular on Halloween day and what kinds of traditions there are. -Ed.


Origin of Halloween Costumes

  According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “Halloween” means ‘hallowed evening’ or ‘holy evening.’ It comes from the Scottish term ‘All Hallows’ Eve.’ In Scottish, the word ‘eve’ signifies ‘evening’. This was contracted to ‘e’en’ or ‘een.’ Over time, ‘All Hallows Even’ evolved into Halloween. Halloween is a time of transition from autumn to winter and is a seasonal event that represents life and death. Halloween originated around 500 A.D. from the Samhain Festival, an Irish Celtic custom. At that time, people thought October 31, the end of the harvest, was the last day of the year. They believed that ghosts would possess the living people for the coming year, ruin the grain, and kill the farm animals. The idea to drive away the ghosts by scaring them led to the custom of wearing disguises of ghosts, devils, and monsters. Since then, the meaning has changed and it has become a party culture to enjoy various games and costume.

Jack-o’-lanterns

  The pumpkin is the most significant symbol of Halloween. A jack-o’-lantern is made by carving eyes, a nose, and a mouth into pumpkins. It is derived from an Irish tradition, and the lantern symbolizes the character Jack, an Irish man of folklore well known for his drunkenness and quick temper, who got very drunk at a local pub on All Hallows Eve. He met the Devil outside the pub because the Devil wanted his soul. Jack asked him for one more drink, but he didn’t have the money to pay. Therefore, the Devil took the shape of a coin and Jack put it into his wallet that had a cross-shaped fastener. Jack agreed to free the Devil under one condition: he should let him live for another year. The Devil accepted.
  The following year, the Devil reappeared and asked Jack to accompany him to hell. Jack told the Devil to take an apple from a tree. When the Devil climbed up, Jack carved a cross on the tree and the Devil was trapped again. This time Jack asked the Devil for ten more years of life in exchange for his freedom, and again, the Devil had to accept.
  Unfortunately, Jack died almost a year later. In paradise, he was not accepted. In hell, the Devil recognized him and refused him admission. However, since he wasn’t so bad, he gave Jack a piece of coal to help him find his way in the darkness of limbo. Jack carved the piece of coal into a turnip and it became known as a jack-o’-Lantern.
  On all Hallow’s Eve, the Irish hollowed out turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original jack-o’-lanterns. In the 1800s, waves of Irish immigrants went to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. Therefore, they used pumpkins for jack-o’-lanterns. Today, people decorate their homes with jack-o’-lanterns. Also, as pumpkins are a significant symbol of Halloween, various costumes featuring pumpkins are popular.

Costumes and meanings

  Cats are one of the most representative symbols of Halloween. In the past, cats were negative creatures that symbolized demons. Today, however, the cat that appears on Halloween is viewed as a protector who scares away the ominousness of the night. The cat costume is depicted in a variety of ways, such as portraying the cuteness of children or expressing sexy images of women.
  Religious people once gave witches a negative meaning. In modern times, however, witches are sometimes portrayed as affluent symbols, such as healers and guardians. Also, they cast spells on heroes to make their journey more difficult. They are also portrayed as guardians who give a variety of advice. In some games, they are portrayed as pretty girls who have mysterious moods. In Japanese mass media, witches are often portrayed as cute and beautiful images, and the number of people wearing witch-related clothes has increased.
  Many people enjoy traditional Halloween costumes. Also, many people dress as their favorite character these days. From the growth of mass media, many kinds of imaginary characters have arisen, and people imitate their styles. People are imitating movie characters or dressing like zombies or ghosts. People are not stuck to concepts that repel bad luck, and they imitate many movie or comics characters. As a result, the Halloween culture has grown bigger. By wearing their favorite characters’ clothes, they show that they are fans of those characters. Also, some make hero costumes for themselves or their children. Kim Soe-yoen (’15, Dept. of Cosmetic Art of Seokyong Univ.) said, “On every Halloween, I enjoy wearing a costume and puting on makeup. We can show our creative side, and then we can take pictures and make some memories. I am always looking forward to Halloween.” People wear their costumes and put on makeup. As they enjoy these costume traditions, more and more costumes are being created.

Reasons for costume development

  On Halloween, people can express themselves creatively, and this is the reason why the costume culture evolved so easily. There are some people who want a change of pace on Halloween. Also, it gives them a chance to think about their lives too. If someone is passive, it can be a chance to be with many people in a new environment. Moreover, some unique characters are hard to mimic in reality. When people dress like them, it is a chance to understand them more. Kim Chang-hyun (Gyungju Univ. Teacher of the Fashion Design Dept.) said, “Release from our daily life and acting like an ideal person or a dream character is not just for fun. It can be an escape from reality.”
  Halloween has become many people’s favorite festival. People wear special and fancy costumes to express themselves on Halloween. Many express their characteristics through particular outfits. This became one of the ways to enjoy Halloween and to show creativity. Each year, people reveal themselves through costumes, and the tradition continues to grow in popularity.

By Jung Jun-hoe | jjh38@cbnu.ac.kr
By Lim Chae-won | cw39@cbnu.ac.kr