Halloween Theme Costumes

With it's ever increasing popularity in all age groups, the Halloween costume party has become one of the year's main excuses to dress up for a costume party. Often the Halloween theme actually becomes secondary to having fun, and costumes of all descriptions are perfectly acceptable. At adult parties, the most popular costumes are often witty or sexy rather than having anything whatsoever to do with Halloween.

But what if you want to stay with the Halloween theme when choosing your costume? What are the classic Halloween costume characters?

Ghosts of all descriptions are the old standby costume of course. Simply a white sheet with some eye and arm holes cut into it has done the job many times for generations. Today, the same idea continues, but with more emphasis on imaginative ghoulish and ugly heads and masks on top of shapeless sheets covering the rest of the body. Perhaps the Orcs of the Lord of the Rings movies have been an inspiration for this trend.

Witches in black with broad brimmed conical hats and accessories such as broom sticks and black cats are universal favorites as well. They do not always have to be costumes that portray frumpy and ugly witches either - some witch costume designs today are quite elegant. Some adult female ones are downright skimpy. A witch's counterpart is a wizard. Wizards are often dressed in hooded gowns like Monks, but this costume has been less popular over time. Is it because they are usually portrayed as being good in the movies unlike witches?

The classic Zombie or Skeleton in white or luminous paint on a black outfit, with a skull piece on the head and face, is still popular.

Variations on the Grim Reaper dress in costumes of black drapery and carry a scythe. A popular style is to have a scary face mask inspired by the Edvard Munch painting, The Scream. Another variation is to make this costume exceptionally tall and threatening.

The Victorian Gothic elegance of dressing in a tuxedo and cape as the Vampire, Count Dracula, or long high collared Victorian gowns as Vampiresses, has an ongoing appeal. The characters of the television series, the Adams Family, have been a further inspiration for this theme. One of the notable characters is Dr Frankenstein's Monster. A very popular related character for men is the Werewolf. Ghostly Victorian Maids, Vampire Brides, Evil Queens and Countesses give plenty of Gothic theme costume choices for the ladies. Gothic is always in around Halloween.

You could always choose to be a Grave Digger, and turn up in old style Victorian workman's clothes carrying a spade. For the ladies there is an evil Grave Fairy counterpart, in a number of scary but often sexy black winged variations.

Devils, Priests, Saints, Monks, Nuns and Angels are less common choices as Halloween costumes, as the religious links to Halloween are not strong. Many organizations or schools actually discourage costume wearing due to a potential pagan association.

Mummy costumes, in hanging rags, are popular every year, as one variation on the Walking Corpse theme. There is even a Mummy matching couples costume available.

Characters from horror movies maintain their popularity. Edward Scissorhands is one example. A Headless Horseman costume is another. Both costumes are a little awkward to both wear and have fun. Murderers of various guises such as Jack the Ripper, evil clowns and bloody doctors are easier to portray in costumes that you can more easily dance in, and have fun while wearing. If you choose a Chainsaw Massacre theme, you may have to put your chainsaw down to do the Monster Mash. Have fun in whatever you choose to wear.

Want to know how to hunt ghosts? The definitive guide here: I Want To Be a Ghost Hunter