It is that time of year again – Halloween is upon us! Get out all your witch’s hats and carved pumpkins for this spooky evening!
Halloween falls on 31 October every year and is known by a few different names: Halloween, Hallows Evening, Allhalloween, All Hallows Eve or All Saints Eve.
It is the eve of the start of the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, which is dedicated to remembering the dead, saints and martyrs. It was traditionally celebrated by Western Christians.
Many believe that different Celtic and Pagan festivals had a big influence on the way Halloween is or was celebrated. Whatever the origin, Halloween has lost most of its original meaning over the years.
Some believe that Halloween is a time for evil and demonic possession, but it does not have roots in any evil, rather just a night to honour loved ones who have passed and give thanks to saints and martyrs.
Modern Halloween
In today’s times, Halloween is celebrated by dressing up and going trick or treating. Children go from house to house on Halloween, dressed as a scary being or their favourite character and ask for sweets – if none are given by the house then the children play a trick on the inhabitants – such as throwing toilet paper on the house. Most people, however, don’t do the tricking part anymore.
Many cities have different events for Halloween, costume parties, jack-o’-lantern carvings, apple bobbing and even visiting haunted attractions. Some communities even have competitions to see who can decorate their house scariest for visitors.
It is a time of fun, sweets, and innocent frights. Kids get to go out on the street and ask their neighbours for sweets, and adults get to attend parties dressed as whatever they want!
Halloween is also a signal that Christmas is just around the corner!
Halloween Costumes
Other than candy, dressing up is everyone’s favourite part of Halloween. You can go extreme and look as freaky or as fierce as possible. Over the decades the types of outfits worn on Halloween have changed.
Recently, most Halloween costumes have been influenced heavily by pop culture – TV characters, the latest superhero movies, and horror films. People love to dress up as the most popular characters at that time, and some outfits are impressive.
When dressing up for Halloween was still new, things were pretty scary! They have become more comical over time.
Here are the most popular Halloween costumes by decade:
1920’s – Clowns
The Pierrot Clown with a black and white painted face was one of the most popular costumes in this decade. Those with a fear of clowns were not so happy!
1930’s – Mickey and Minnie Mouse
This costume is still popular to this day. These cartoon characters were made popular during this decade, and everyone wanted to dress up as their favourite mouse!
1940’s – Witch
Pinup girls made women more daring in this decade, and what is sexier on Halloween than a classic witch costume? Women shortened their skirts and dressed up like never before to impress in their witch costumes during this decade.
1950’s – Hawaiian Dress
For some reason, everybody wanted to wear grass skirts and leis in this decade. The women looked beautiful and the men looked, well, hawaiinish. Cowboys and Indians also featured as popular dress-ups in this decade.
1960’s – Superheroes
Everybody loves a superhero! And the ’60s brought no shortage of them. Women could wear tight latex outfits, and so could the men!
1970’s – Charlie Brown
The Peanuts gang were really popular in this decade, and Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Peanuts all showed up ready to take on Halloween.
1980’s – Freddy Kruger and Princess Leia
Both films were hits in this decade, and people either went with pretty Princess Leia or creepy-as-hell Freddy Kruger.
1990’s – Power Rangers
Kids and adults were all obsessed with the Power Rangers – who wouldn’t be? Groups of friends all picked their favourite Power Ranger and dressed up like them – how awesome they all looked in groups! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were right behind them in popularity as well!
2000’s – Anything goes
Harry Potter, Michael Jackson and Spongebob Squarepants – how do you choose? This decade, as well as our own, was so overwhelmed by choice that it is nearly impossible to choose an outfit!
2010’s – Frozen
The amount of Elsa, Anna and Olaf costumes roaming the streets on Halloween is alarming, but oh so sweet. The kiddie’s film is loved by all, and the outfits are so adorable!
Halloween 2024
Why not get all spooky this Halloween and find something creepy to wear? A vampire, ghost or werewolf – see who you can scare in your neighbourhood – all while building up a decent candy supply!
If you are more of a stay-at-home, don’t want to celebrate the type of person, why not stay in and try your luck with an online casino?
They will be ready and waiting for you all Halloween night and there are no limits to what you can win. There might even be some specials on certain online sites that you can take advantage of this Halloween.
Halloween doesn’t have to be all trick or treat, you could treat yourself to some extra cash and some fun playing the slots or taking a chance at the tables. And this can all be done from the comfort of your couch. Ignore the trick-or-treaters, hope they don’t egg your house and get playing!
Springbok Casino
This is a proudly South African site that has slots and table games. There are more than enough games to choose from and you can play and win in Rands!
