Why Do We Dress Up at Halloween?

The Era When Halloween First Began

Halloween started a suuuuper long time ago—somewhere around 800-600 BC. During that time, the Celtic people celebrated a holiday called Samhain, which translates to “summer’s end.” The holiday was held on October 31st (sound familiar?) and was believed to be the day when spirits left our world. October 31st marked the end of the Celtic calendar, making it the perfect time to honor death, spirits and the end of life cycles.

As you might’ve guessed, people dressed up to celebrate Samhain. Their costumes were ghoulish and other-worldly to celebrate those who recently passed away. Many people also wore super scary costumes to ward off evil spirits. That’s how we got the classic white-sheet-over-the-head ghost costume!

The Celtic people weren’t the only ones who celebrated spirits. On November 1st, members of the Roman Catholic Church would participate in All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows or Hallowmass. Similar to Samhain, this holiday was also dedicated to honoring the spirits of those who have passed.

Fast forward to the roaring 20s! Halloween costumes weren’t just creepy or scary anymore. They began to evolve once clothing companies bought the licensing rights to classic cartoon characters. Those companies realized people didn’t have to dress scarily—they could be whatever they wanted to be. From that point on, Halloween was changed forever!

Iconic Celebrity Halloween Outfits

You’ve got the DL on why we dress up for Halloween. There’s only one question left: what’s your costume gonna be this year?? If you’re in desperate need of outfit inspo, look no further than your fav celebrities. Here’s a look at some of the most popular costumes from icons like Lizzo, Harry Styles, Kim K and more:

• Sexy: Strut into the rave with a costume inspired by Hollywood’s most memorable Halloween looks. Remember Halsey’s Poison Ivy costume from 2020? Or what about Kim K dressed as Mystique in 2022? Both are great options, especially if you’re dying to show some skin! And of course, you can never go wrong with Hailey Bieber’s spot-on recreation of Britney Spears’ sexy schoolgirl outfit. We mentioned it before, but it’s worth mentioning again!
• Creepy: Channel the ancient origins of Halloween with a creepy (but still glam) rave outfit. Think Sophie Turner as Morticia Adams or Kylie Jenner as the bride of Frankenstein. You don’t have to sacrifice beauty for scariness! If these queens can do it, then so can you.
• Pop culture: Looking for a classic movie character? Take a page out of Harry Styles’ book and go as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. We also love Lizzo’s Baby Yoda costume from 2021 (SO CUTE!). You could wear your fav celebrity’s iconic look, too. Let’s not forget the time Nina Dobrev dressed up as Billie Eilish!