To think Halloween costumes don’t have to be spooky?

[JessieMcJessie]

In my childhood it was just about dressing up, so I remember my Mum dressing me as a Japanese Geisha, Paddington Bear, an alien, my brother as a Viking or a pirate- her only rule was that she had to do the costume with what she had at home (the Geisha was my Dad’s silk dressing gown!).

But I get the sense that these days costumes tend to be either spooky or a pumpkin, so Zombie Geisha would be OK but not trad geisha.

My DS is two, I don’t really want to put him in anything too gory, and I’d like to dress him as something he’d recognise, like a zoo animal or a Twirlywoo or something. Not a Zombie Twirlywoo.

[Twinning1]

Urgh not another thread of people being offended. I’m English, in that case nobody is allowed to do anything that is of our culture unless they were born in England including eating Cornish cream teas and pasty! It’s just getting silly!

[CinnaMessala]

I love how everyone bangs on about the American Halloween making its way here and in next breath declares the costumes must be scary / spooky. NO. Just flat out no. They’re suppose to be inventive and fun and creative.

So boring seeing witches and zombies everywhere in U.K.

[helacells]

YANBU here in the
States it's all superheroes and characters you'd be hard pressed to find kids in anything scary

[sleepylittlebunnies]

As a kid in the 80’s we always dressed in spooky costumes, always made with things at home and make up. Could be an old sheet cut up for a mummy, black clothes and white school shirt and a black bin bag for a cape for Dracula. My kids have had a mixture of shop bought and home made costumes but all spooky. Never seen anyone round here trick or treating in usual fancy dress.

If worried about gore you could go for a pumpkin, witch’s black cat, werewolf, Dracula, spider, skeleton. There’s lots of options just don’t add any fake blood.

[Runningishard]

I think it’s more an American tradition to wear non spooky costumes. That said my fella and I went to a Halloween party last year as Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace.

[KittensAndCake]

They’re suppose to be inventive and fun and creative

No, they're supposed to be scary, it's All Hallows' eve 👻 🎃 🧙‍♀️

[JessieMcJessie]

It’s more “All Hallows afternoon at Nursery” for us though!
Does anybody still bob for apples? (Dooking, we called it)

[Bue]

I grew up in Canada where Halloween is huge and I would say most children do not dress up in spooky costumes, it's just fancy dress. I find Halloween in England to be a bit sinister by comparison.

[RedHelenB]

Go gory it's Halloween!

[DownstairsMixUp]

Just don't take things from other people's cultures? I had this with a friend. My Nan was Roman Catholic and so was I growing up, we celebrated all souls and all saints day, my Nan was actually Italian but we'd always celebrated and marked these days by remembering people who had passed away. We'd go to church and my Nan would tell me stories about day of the dead celebrations, we'd decorate sugar skulls and make bread. It was a massive part of growing up for me and my Nan always wanted to go to Mexico to celebrate it. Anyway, her memory is long gone now and one of my tattoos is a skull decorated the way we did all them years ago. It's a huge part of my life with many religious and cultural meanings behind it.

So then my friend decides to get a sugar skull on each arm, one each for her kids. She doesn't have a clue what the skulls represent and constantly buys sugar skull stuff. I think it's hugely offensive to so that. You can't pick out bits of people's culture and beliefs and make it your own!

[PrincessDando]

The best alternative Halloween costume I ever saw was a child sized London estate agent with for sale sign and extortionate price on it! Not spooky but scary!

[lottiegarbanzo]

I've taken part in this discussion before and have discovered:

1. There are very significant country differences. The Scottish 'guising' tradition is quite distinct from the English All Hallow's Eve (spooky) tradition. It's interesting that you don't mention on your OP that you're Scottish, as if you think we all do Hallowe'en the same. We don't.
   
   
2. The American take on it (developed from Scottish and Irish immigration) encompasses any old dresssing up. That is starting to influence UK costumes too (along with pumpkins instead of turnips).
   
   I am firmly on team #EnglishSpookyHallowe'en and, where I live and trick-or-treating is huge (I did it as a child too, it's not recent) would be bemused by non-spooky costumes. You just don't see them.
   
   Pumpkin or cat is cute for a little one.

[JessieMcJessie]

I am Scottish but we live in England Lottie so you’re right, it was guidance on specifically English practice that I wanted. I’ve been here for over 20 years, but haven’t done Halloween with a child up till now.

[JessieMcJessie]

Downstairs big difference between a tattoo and a costume worn for one day though, surely?

[TooManyPaws]

Just let them guise; so much more fun! A small child telling a corny joke is great.

Someone I know said that her children insisted on guising rather than trick or treating when they lived in the USA; bemused neighbours were faced with a group of small Scots children determined to sing a song, dance, or tell a joke or story before they got to the sweeties.

[FlowThroughIt]

Oh I just love a pumpkin costume. I was perhaps overly happy that our baby will be at just the right age to look super cute in one.