Costumes are an iconic part of October. Many of us get so excited about Halloween we start making costume plans before the month even begins. For us overenthusiastic celebrants putting a costume on gives us permission to play, and no matter our age we know that play is good for us.
While the idea of wearing a costume for Halloween may seem childish, I’m here to tell you it’s anything but.
The most basic definition of the word costume is “a style of dressing”. Which makes it unsuprising to learn that the etymological root of the word costume, from the Latin consuetudinem - translates simply to - custom, habit, or usage. Wearing a white dress as a bride then is not just putting on the appropriate costume it is also honoring a custom and tradition.
Costumes are not just for ceremonious occasions, they are also worn to indicate the personification of customs during certain eras in time, such as the costume one would wear in a theatrical or historical performance. Costumes also denote archetypical expressions of the nature of humanity, take for example the Clown, Wizard, Nurse, Queen and the creepier characters that take the stage on the dark night of Halloween. Wearing a costume can invite us to take on the persona of the character we portray giving us an invitation to explore parts of our own personalities we may not have spent much time with before.
The Halloween Holiday that we now celebrate is an evolution of the ancient Pagen celebration of Samhain. The Samhain celebration marked a time in the natural cycle of the year thought to thin the veils between the living world and the afterlife. Ancient Pagens lit bonfires and dressed as ghouls to ward off bad ghosts and unwanted spirits.
While modern reasons to put on a Halloween costume feel far less ominous, the joy of participating in this time-honored tradition continues to inspire many to dig deep into their imaginations and share something special about themselves with the world. They do this not because they are childish but because costumes are fun and invite us to play at any age, they teach us about customs across cultures and centuries, and if we let them, they may even teach us a thing or two about ourselves.
Wishing you a Happy Halloween!
~ Genevieve
Friendly reminder: Our standard turnaround time on cleaning is one week. Don’t forget to bring your costumes in if they need cleaning before the Holiday.
