As the spookiest time of the year creeps closer, we’re excited to present to you the world of Halloween! Whether you’re on the hunt for the perfect costume or just curious about the holiday, don’t fret! In this article, we will share some fascinating facts about Halloween and introduce you to the top three Halloween costumes according to our EPHS Tigers!
2019: This costume gained popularity in 2019, becoming the top choice. This may have been influenced by the “killer clown” incidents. Although, everyone loved these costumes and were considered the best dressed for the holiday.
2017: After the release of the movie IT in 2017, the clown costume gained popularity. It was similar to 2019, but now the killer clown Pennywise took the spotlight.
2015: The minion costume became popular due to the release of Despicable Me back in 2010. Everyone started to really like this costume in 2015, and people would dress up as minions for Halloween.
2013: The Purge movie was released in 2013 and soon after the costume got really popular. Everyone wanted to wear the mask from this movie for Halloween, and it was “the” costume.
History of Halloween
Halloween is a widely celebrated holiday in the U.S. More than 75% of Americans participate in it. Although some people do not celebrate this holiday, the number of Americans observing it is increasing. Only 25% of Americans don’t celebrate Halloween. The holiday’s roots trace back over 2,000 years and was originally known as the ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain.
What is the Celtic Festival of Samhain and how did it become Halloween?
The Celtic festival of Samhain is an ancient tradition that has evolved into what we celebrate today, Halloween. This celebration was located in Ireland and became one of the most popular holidays in America. The Celts began the festival at the beginning of winter, which they called “the dark half of the year”. They began to celebrate this holiday in order to honor the dead and allow spirits to “cross over”. This festival involved bonfires, feasts, and music. The Celts believed in dressing up as the evil spirits, thinking it would scare them off. They assumed that if the spirits confused them with other spirits, it would prevent them from being possessed. This holiday became very popular over the years and was soon known as “Halloween”.
When the holiday first started gaining popularity, everyone dressed up as spooky characters and different themes surrounding that. After the Great Depression started, people began celebrating the holiday again. Communities and neighborhoods would hand out candy, and people would have parties. Then, in the 1930s, people would shift towards more diverse costume choices. A decade later, more adults started wearing costumes and dressing up with their children. Ever since the 1950s, kids have worn costumes from popular movies and comics, which is still a popular trend today.
What are the top 3 Halloween costumes for our EPHS Tigers?
After gathering eighty-three responses, we discovered the top three most popular Halloween costumes this school year for our EPHS Tigers! In third place, we have Shark Boy & Lava Girl. Coming in second place, we have the strawberry shortcake girls. Finally, in first place, we have Disney characters. Out of all of our responses, approximately 41% chose Disney characters.
Popular Halloween Candy
Over 2,000 years ago, the Celts believed in distributing goods to please the spirits. Now, throughout the years of the celebration of Halloween, we are still giving out candy. So many kinds of candy are given out each year, which is now a very important part of Halloween. However, there are a few favorites for 2025, including Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, M&M’s, Sour Patch Kids, Skittles, and Starburst. These five have been favorites for a few years, but they are getting more popular each year.
Conclusion
There is so much more to this exciting holiday. Halloween is not just about costumes and candy; it’s a celebration of your community and inspiration. This spooky holiday offers something for everyone, whether it’s sweets, costumes, or memories with your close ones. In conclusion, Halloween stands as a long -lived tradition that is still popular to this day.
Sources:
Final Vote: Top Halloween Costume. (n.d.). https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1b9f_4yH8W0-ElvsZ3nCUX9hbnyVv8DL95fm4aeDDKpU/edit
Halloween 2025. (2009, November 18). https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-halloween
Halloween Costumes 2025. (n.d.).
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1f-6h8x82k7cwVfJtG69LGBsBgXAojsAvJIM-gzij_iw/edit?usp
A History of the Halloween Costume. (2023, October 26). https://childrenstheatre.org/2023/10/26/a-history-of-the-halloween-costume/
Samhain. (2016, April 6). https://www.history.com/articles/samhain