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 Here
at Ariki Art we knew by mid-October that it was
North Korean president Kim Jong Il. Searches for Kim Jong Il
costumes came in a clear winner in our server logs. And this was
confirmed by NPR when
they reported on October 30, 2006 that Paul Blum, who runs Manhattan's
Abracadabra costume shop, informed them that "sexy now trumps scary"
when it comes to Halloween get-ups. And despite the fact that it's the
political season, Blum stated that not many people were choosing to
dress up like politicians with the one exception: North Korean leader
Kim Jong-il.
Listen to the NPR
segment on most
popular Halloween costume for 2006.
One other thing we know is that the epicurean president not only took
the world by surprise in detonating a nuclear device in early October,
but also caught Halloween costume suppliers flat-footed, and it seemed
no one got to make much money out of the public's wish to be the
dictator with the Bomb on Halloween 2006. Also from
NPR, hear
how much
Americans will spend on Halloween celebrations. You'll be surprised,
shocked, or frightened!
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Halloween falls roughly half way between the equinox and the
solstice. In many cultures, such a date represented the start of the seasons.
Halloween would have been the first day of winter, for example.
In northern Europe, this was a dreaded time of year. The crops were all
harvested, and the long, cold nights of winter loomed ahead. Light and warmth
wouldn't return to the world for months. Many thought it was a time when souls
roamed the earth, looking for new bodies to inhabit. In fact, that's how the
modern version of Halloween got its start.
About 2500 years ago, the Celts of ancient Ireland put out their fires at this
time of year, to make their homes less appealing to wandering souls. Priests lit
great bonfires to scare away the spirits. And people dressed up as goblins or
witches, made loud noises, and played pranks to convince the spirits that they
were already possessed. They had to be careful not to overdo it, though. If they
acted too strange, people thought they really WERE possessed, and threw them on
the bonfires.
Over the centuries, Halloween lost much of its deeper significance, but the
hijinks continued. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to the United States
in the mid-1800s. The customs of Halloween caught on, and remain with us today.
When I was growing up in New Zealand we didn't celebrate
Halloween. It was something that we might hear about or see in a U.S.
movie or a news story about fires in Detroit on the night of Halloween.
The custom of "trick or treating" was more mystery than reality. For me, growing
up in a Catholic family, the nearest thing to this focus on the spirit world and
the dead around this time of year was the celebration of All Souls day on
November 2nd, the day on which the Catholic Church celebrates Requiem Mass on
behalf of the souls of the departed still suffering in Purgatory. It was a day
when we were yet again unwillingly dragged off to Mass by our father - wasn't
going on Sundays enough, us young brats would protest.
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- Witch, coming from the Saxon word “wicca,” means “wise one.”
- In 2005, the state of Illinois was the U.S.’ No. 1 pumpkin
producer with 497 million pounds—followed by California, Ohio and
Pennsylvania
- The scariest places in the U.S. to spend Halloween: Transylvania
County, NC; Tombstone, AZ; Pumpkin Center, NC; Pumpkin Bend, AR;
Cape Fear, NC; Skull Creek, NE.
- Halloween candy sales average about $2 billion annually in the
United States
- In 2005, statistically every American consumed 26 pounds of
candy—much of it believed to be eaten around Halloween
- Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for
trick-or-treaters with Snickers being #1
- If you see a spider on Halloween, it is said to be the spirit of
a loved one watching over you
Create
an e-Jack-o'-Lantern Online
The Life and Death of a Pumpkin
The Skeletons
Project
Halloween
Games
How Scary Are You Quiz
Do Black Cats Cause Bad Luck?
 Costume Designer Carin Jacobs is based in Seal Beach, California, and
has a wide range of costumes for rent. Carin works as an educator
in the history of fashion and costume design at several Southern
California universities and colleges, and has worked on several movies
and stage productions. Carin has over 5,000 costumes available for
rent. Get Carin Jacobs to help you impress your friends this year
with a Halloween
costume. |
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