The origin of Halloween goes back centuries, just as many “holidays,” especially those that have beginnings from religious celebrations of various types. Even within the United States, Halloween has evolved over the last few decades from simple fun (Trick or Treat!) to the big business it is today. Where at one time, Halloween was a time for fun, going door to door for candy among the younger kids and simple pranks for older kids, nowadays, the Halloween candies are in the stores a month before as well as all the Halloween decorations.
Back in the 1950s, a lot of school districts around the United States would have Halloween Costume Parties for the children as part of an annual “Fall Festival” where children in younger classes would have Prince and Princess candidates while older classes would nominate King and Queen candidates. The kids would wear Halloween costumes to the celebration that their mothers would have made as there were not Costume and Party stores available. Little boys would wear cowboy costumes and little girls would wear princess costumes but these Halloween costumes would just be the boys wearing their blue jeans, a cowboy style shirt and hat and wearing a belt with a cap pistol. Reality was, these were probably the little boy’s school or play clothes already and the only extra purchase might be the cowboy hat from the local five and dime store. If the children’s parents were really extravagant, they might get their children costumes from the Sears and Roebuck catalog.
» Read more: Halloween Night Costumes throughout Time
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