Grace Vaccaro, Staff Writer
Halloween happens each year on October 31st. This tradition began with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, the ghost of the dead, which could ward off ghosts. The Celts hosted this festival on their new year, the transition from warm weather to winter. People would wear costumes and light bonfires to ward off ghosts. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III made November 1st All Saints’ Day, which soon incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The day before became known as Hallows Eve (Halloween), and now is a day of costumes, trick-or-treating, pumpkins, and frights.
Halloween grew its popularity in the United States in the 1800s. People would wear costumes and begin the practice of trick-or-treating, asking for food and money. Trick-or-treating evolved into handing out candy in the 1920s, an inexpensive way for the community to come together.
Halloween costumes have gone through an evolution over the years. In the early 20th century, costumes were meant to be spooky. People wanted to conceal their identity, with the most popular costumes being witches, black cats, and the moon. Homemade costumes became popular during the Great Depression for their flexibility and low cost. As Halloween grew to be a community-wide event, children’s media characters became popular costumes for that age group. Current events started to make their way into costumes as well. In the 1970’s the most popular costume was President Nixon.
What costumes are going to be popular this year? The National Retail Federation expects Halloween spending to hit a record $13.5 billion this year. $4.4 billion alone on costumes. Last year, the most searched costumes were the K-Pop Demon Hunters characters and Chicken Jockey from the Minecraft movie. Let’s see what will be expected of 2026.
According to Forbes, Spider-Man is the most popular costume with an estimated 3.8 million Americans dressing up as this beloved superhero. The newest Spider-Man movie broke box-office records back in July, marking how permanent this character is in our culture. Some other popular characters from the media are Nikki from the breakout horror movie Obsession, as well as Glinda and Elphaba. These pink and green witches would make a perfect costume for a pair of friends.
Dolly Parton is also set to be a popular costume from her recent passing. Michael Jackson’s Thriller outfit is also popular with its high identifiability. If a costume with many parts isn’t for you, putting on some animal ears is a simple and fast way to be ready for the night. According to the National Retail Federation, the most popular classic costumes are a witch, vampire, and ghost.
Whether you are going trick-or-treating, carving a pumpkin, or staying in to watch a scary movie, Halloween is a fun night for kids and adults alike. Be on the lookout for what costumes will be the hit of the night, and it’s never too soon to start planning for next year!
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