Halloween, a rave in the western countries has its roots from as early as the 16th century. More specifically, it dates back to the Roman festival and feast of worshiping Pomona the goddess of fruits and seeds or the festival of dead called Parentalia. However, being more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain which means “the end of summers”. Celebrated on October 31, children disguise themselves as ghosts, vampires, television stars or other gory characters and visit the neighborhood households knocking doors and asking the residents for choice of any one of the two, “trick or treat”. Treat would mean candies, cakes, sweets and gifts for the children and trick would signify a pun played by the children on the resident. Usually it’s a fun and frolic occasion for the children but more so for their parents as well for all the enthusiasm with which they dress up their children. This season heralds a green and Eco-friendly Halloweens which is a delight yet easy on nature. A bit of creativity and use of easily available used or resale costumes when put together can create a dramatic and exciting effect.
Some options that can drastically alter looks and feel by combining small items in ones backyard, home or garden area trend fast catching this season.
1. Thrift stores
Picking up costumes from thrift stores or exchanging old costumes with friends, neighbors, classmates or senior students is a great way to start the green revolution. The costumes are then adorned with some Eco-friendly paint or grass from the garden and the look is ready. Tucking a turf of grass on ones’ hat and rolling on the mud brings in the “earthy effect”.
2. Favorite TV stars
Dressing up as ones’ favorite movie star is another hot option, Lady Gaga, Liz Lemon or Michael Kors and many more to choose from. Some creativity like big glasses, old hat, lose clothes and this effect is ready especially by adding any characteristic feature from the movie star’s look.
3. Green outfits
Old costumes re-dyed with Eco-friendly green color and accentuated with a dramatic effect by adding a dash of green color to one’s face is a real green alternative this season.
4. Mother Nature
Frilled skirt or trousers when decorated with flowers, grass and leaves and combined with stuffed animals and bird motifs on the hat is a true “Nature” reflection and a fabulous way of getting back to nature.
5. A Tree
A brown rugged and torn costume fitted with trees or branches for appendages or a green dress sewed with leaves and grasses gives a unique and fun “tree effect”.
6. A Cavewoman or man
A rugged blanket, torn and sewed together to make one piece, worn over sheets of clothes in considerably colder regions when combined with black soot for eye makeup gives a classic “cave dweller” look.
7. Rising sea level costume
A white or blue turtle neck blended with “C” alphabet cutouts from paper or cardboard of varying sizes and stuck or sewn in ascending order on the costume, literally indicating the global concern of “rising sea levels”.
8. Old Clothes with a dead look
Another trend this season is wearing the last year’s character clothes with a “dead look”. Adding a dash of dark lipsticks, white face powder, grey paint on hair streaks and combining some blots of blood prepared from corn syrup mixed with red food color heightens the “dead look effect”.
The ideas above are just the beginning of some fabulous green Halloween options, further innovations can work marvels. A visit to the resale stores or thrift stores much before the Halloween month can help one grab great discounts and unique clothes well in advance rather than buying expensive stuffs around the season. Reusing and remixing old stuffs to work new ideas not only garners creativity in the children but also educates them on the significance of being Eco-friendly. Ideas such as these are not only cost effective but nature friendly too. Since Halloween costumes are “one time use outfits” its intelligence and vigilance to not waste resources in buying stuffs anew every season and rather combining a bit of creativity to refurbish the old ones into new ones. Many stores are putting up merchandise made from organic materials for display. One such material, the Alpaca fiber, shorn from animals is renewal and does not require any synthetic pesticide to be grown, is finding great usage in making animal print costumes this season thus a warm and happy occasion which breeds joy and cordiality can be turned into an educative lesson for the children
