Halloween Characters

Ghosts, goblins, monsters, mummies, witches, vampires, and zombies, oh my! Click on the links below to learn more about these famous and favorite Halloween characters.

1. Ghost
2. Goblin
3. Monster
4. Mummy
5. Witch
6. Vampire
7. Zombie

Halloween Characters – Will You Be Afraid?

If a dozen people were ask to make a list of the 10 most popular Halloween characters of all time, there are several costumes that would likely make all the lists. But regions, cultures and social backgrounds all play a role in what’s hot and what’s not.

Witches, Ghosts and Ghouls

Witches would likely be at the top of list of most popular Halloween characters. The reason is pretty simple. Most people associate Halloween with witches and witchcraft, even though the historical significance of the holiday isn’t at all cult related.

Ghosts are another popular costume choice for a couple of reasons. One is that the historical aspects of Halloween are closely associated with ghosts and spirits. It’s said that the ancient Celts believed that spirits could return to the land of the living on Oct. 30 – All Hallow’s Eve – and search for a body to inhabit.

When the people prepared to protect themselves from these spirits, they dressed up in ghoulish costumes. The idea was to keep the spirits at bay because even someone with no body at all wouldn’t want one that looked so freakish!

Ghouls and ghosts are also popular costume choices because of the ease with which these costumes can be made. Just drop a white sheet over a child, cut out eyeholes and Presto! He’s a ghost. Ghouls are similarly easy and the child’s imagination is the only thing limiting what a ghoul should look like.

Vampires and Monsters

Count Dracula, the best known of the vampires, is another popular choice for Halloween costumes. Besides the fear that most people naturally have for vampires, there’s an elegance to Dracula that appeals to many.

The monster category is pretty wide. The popularity is at least partly due to how easy it is to make monster costumes and partly due to the fear factor. But there’s also the fact that imagination rules when a child (or adult) has the opportunity to dress up as a monster. Frankenstein is arguably the most popular monster.

The Not-so-Scary

The spooky side of Halloween insists that there be scary costumes for the day, but there are also plenty of popular Halloween costumes that are not at all frightening. Clowns are a popular Halloween character choice because it’s so easy to make a clown costume. Likewise, children in some regions dressed as beggars and what could be an easier costume to create?

There are probably few little girls who haven’t dressed up as a princess for at least one Halloween. After all, Halloween is a chance to be something other than what you are. Why not indulge that fantasy to be a princess on this one night?

Other Popular Halloween Characters

To round out the list of the top ten Halloween characters of all time, you probably have to look to your local costume offerings and what’s “hot” with the kids at the moment. There are always cartoons and movies that prompt Halloween costumes.

The hopes and dreams of children also tend to play a role in Halloween costumes. Little boys want to be cowboys, firefighters and the like, and they dress the part for this night of trick-or-treating.

As you hand out your treats this Halloween, take time to keep a rough list of Halloween costumes and create your own top ten Halloween costume list. You may be surprised to find that many of the costumes that were popular a decade or two ago (or more) are still favorites today.