Halloween

Halloween is a holiday wherein much of the traditions celebrate the supernatural and the macabre, as well as harvest. The holiday began as a celebration of departed souls in Catholic tradition, but as centuries passed, new traditions and cultural elements became involved, especially after its arrival to North America in the 19th century and the rise of the horror movie genre^[1].

History[]

Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, is often considered the precursor to Halloween. Falling on the evening of October 31st and ending on November 1st, it marked the start of the "darker half" of the Celtic New Year and was believed to be a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead grew thin.

Samhain shares some visual elements with Halloween. However, they have very distinct purposes. Samhain is meant to be a tradition to reconnect with ancestors and deceased loved ones, while modern Halloween is more focused on having fun and entertainment. As it coincides with autumn, the most prominent colours are black, orange and brown. It is typically celebrated around nature, with bonfires and Jack-o'-lanterns lighting up the foggy nights. Bonfires and costumes are used because they were thought to ward off spirits and witches. Eating hazelnuts and apples (associated with immortality and the otherwordly in Celtic folklore) is a common activity associated with Samhain.

In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III established All Saints' Day on November 1st to honor all saints. This date coincided with the Celtic festival of Samhain, leading to the gradual incorporation of some of Samhain's traditions into the observance of All Saints' Day. The prior night came to be known as "All Hallows' Eve", eventually shortened to Hallowmas and later Halloween. Irish immigrants, escaping the Great Famine of the 1840s, brought their cultural traditions with them to the New World, which laid foundation for what today is Halloween. Practices like carving jack-o'-lanterns (originally turnips in Ireland^[2]), wearing costumes, playing tricks on neighbors, and going door-to-door for treats (known as "souling") gained popularity.

In its early days in North America, particularly around the 1930s, trick-or-treating was often associated with threats and vandalism against homes. However, by the 20th century, it had become a popular children's holiday in the United States, and candy became an alternative to trouble-making. As Halloween became more commercialized, its focus shifted away from honouring the dead towards fun and entertainment. In recent decades, Halloween's popularity has spread internationally, particularly among younger generations in Western countries.

Samhain continues to be celebrated in the Celtic Nations. Along with Imbolc, Bealtaine, and Lughnasa, it represents one of the four seasonal holidays in Gaelic cultures. The tradition is mainly observed in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man (Hop-tu-Naa). There is a Brittonic equivalent in Wales (Calan Gaeaf), Cornwall (Kalan Gwav), and Brittany (Kalan-Goañv). It is also celebrated as a revitalized tradition in Galicia, Asturias and Northern Portugal, where it is known as Samaín and celebrated with magostos (which involves consuming hot chestnuts, local young wine, and sausages, often in a forest). Diasporas of the forementioned regions and Neo-Pagan communities also celebrate Samhain.

Other cultures around the world also have their own ways of honouring the dead around the same time of year. In Mexico and other parts of Central America, Día De Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a holiday typically celebrated on November 1st and 2nd (sometimes varying between October 31st and November 6th). It involves welcoming the spirits of deceased loved ones back home with colorful altars, offerings of food and drink, and family gatherings. However, despite their similarities, it is not inherently related to Halloween.

Visuals[]

Because Halloween is so heavily ingrained in North American pop culture, especially consumerism, many different types of visuals developed because the holiday reaches many demographics. For children, the holiday tends to focus on the whimsy and "spookiness," as terror is inappropriate for children. On the other hand, Halloween is often linked with horror, which involves a large variety of genres that have their own associated tropes that carry over into different visuals for the holiday. For example, people who enjoy more elegant aesthetics tend to decorate or dress themselves in a Gothic theme, while people who enjoy slasher movies enjoy jump scares.

Halloween also has many colors strongly linked with the holiday. Black and orange are the classic colors, but additional colors can be added depending on different interpretations of the aesthetic; common additional colors are purple, green, and blood red. More is described in the Substyle section.

There are many visual motifs that can be portrayed differently in tone but are always going to be understood as "Halloween". Horror monsters (often from B-movie horror tradition) such as vampires, witches, zombies, mummies, clowns, and fictional serial killers are some figures that are commonly the theme of different costumes or incorporated into artwork.

Aspects of Gothic horror also appear without totally being a part of the genre. Ghosts, haunted houses, and ancient graveyards are some examples of things associated with the holiday.

Animals that are typically considered frightening are also symbols of Halloween. Bats (associated with vampires), spiders, snakes, rats, and black cats are often mascots of the aesthetic and feature as home decor, plastic trick-or-treat favors, or greeting card characters.

Because the season takes place in Autumn, many of the visuals incorporate aspects of this, especially in religious communities who are opposed to the celebration of malevolent supernatural beings. (As a note, many communities totally opposed to Halloween often have a "harvest" or fall festival around the real day of Halloween to please kids.) Apples, in bobbing for a party game and on sticks, are an example of a harvest symbol. Corn mazes can be a common visual, especially because there can be both a horror or lighthearted slant.

Pumpkins and Jack-O-Lanterns are a part of this autumn motif, but are extremely prominent as a Halloween symbol and tradition.

Another symbol and tradition is candy, which is a part of trick-or-treating. Certain candies are associated with Halloween specifically, such as candy corn, gummies shaped like body parts, and anything pumpkin shaped.

Halloween is also a season for gatherings, and many people host Halloween parties. Young adults often throw house parties or go to clubs where the alcohol is made to look like potions, women dress in sexy costumes, etc. Meanwhile, "Pinterest moms" often make elaborate themed food and decorations that look aesthetically pleasing.

Fashion[]

Halloween fashion can either make nods to Halloween aesthetics or are Halloween costumes. Because of the season, Halloween daily fashion is often autumnal. The colors are, of course, made up from the Halloween color palette and incorporate the motifs in prints, crochet, or novelty accessories. Because of this, any fashion aesthetic can have a Halloween theme to it, so long as the colors and motifs are involved. However, Halloween is especially popular with Goth and vintage communities, as the former has many horror enthusiasts and the latter often involves novelty prints and accessories in their fashion.

The costumes for Halloween can vary greatly, as the theme and execution are decided by the wearer. Costumes can be made by professionals, purchased from Halloween store bags, or improvised using a few accessories over normal clothing. Anything can technically be a Halloween costume, including horror movie monsters, lighthearted characters, memes and pop cultural figures, animals, and even "non-costumes."

Music[]

Halloween/Spooky music can consist of a lot of Nu-Metal, Goth, and some Punk music, as well as campy Halloween songs or soundtracks to Tim Burton films (Nightmare Before Christmas being a prime example of Halloween music). Popular artists within the Halloween aesthetic include:

Misfits
Malice Mizer
The Cramps
The Creepshow
The Coffin Caddies
Aiden
Deadsy
From First to Last
Dead Man's Bones
Creature Feature
Harely Poe
The Scary Jokes
Glass Animals
Lemon Demon
Necromantix
Teddy Hyde
Julee Cruise
Bat For Lashes
Really Introverted Producer
Rob Zombie
Siouxsie & The Banshees
Voltaire
Zombina & The Skeletones
MASA WORKS DESIGN
Chaa
Machigerita-P
Wednesday 13
October Country
Will Wood
Bear Ghost

Songs[]

Bloody Mary by Lady Gaga
After Dark by Mr Kitty
My Time by bo en
The Chucky Megamix by Mike Helm
Tag, You're It by Melanie Martinez
Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett
This is Halloween by The Citizens of Halloween
Spooky Scary Skeletons by Andrew Gold
Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Touch-Tone Telephone by Lemon Demon
The Haunted Phonograph by Thoushaltnot
Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran
Happy Halloween by JUNKY
I’m in Love with a Monster by Fifth Harmony
Nature Trail to Hell by “Weird Al” Yankovic
Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.
Thriller by Michael Jackson

Subgenres[]

Neon Halloween[]

Neon Halloween is a Halloween aesthetic subgenre based on all it's respective imagery, but in neon vibrant colors.

Visuals[]

Halloween neon decorations, such a skeletons, pumpkins, witch hats and ghosts. Also neon lights, paint, party imagery and gardens.

Fashion[]

Neon Halloween costumes
Party clothing

Music[]

Electronic beats which are Halloween theme or electronic covers of typical songs.

Activities[]

Decorating
Going out with friends
Attending to Halloween parties and organizing them

Halloween Nostalgia[]

The nostalgic aspects of Halloween refer to Halloween visual culture from the 1980s-2000s, which is the majority of contemporary internet users' childhoods.

Vintage Halloween[]

Because Halloween has been present for over a century, many eras had their own look to Halloween. This section refers to the 1920s-1960s. Because the horror genre mostly grew in the 1970s, many aspects of Halloween familiar with people today, such as horror movie slashers, are absent. During this time, it was also more common to send Halloween cards, which have illustrations that form the basis of the aesthetic.

Cute Halloween[]

Similar to Gurokawa, this sub-aesthetic focuses on Halloween imagery with vibrant and/or pastel colors and cute characters. Common themes for this subgenre are casual scenarios/settings, decora elements, and gothic visuals.

Media[]

Because of how popular Halloween is as a setting for comedy, horror, and mystery, there are hundreds of works. Wikipedia editors have listed all of these works here: