By Maria de los Reyes Segura Laguna, Cydneii Lung’aho and Daniella Dogbe
In recent years, Halloween has ceased to be a holiday related exclusively to death.
Social media platforms and pop culture, as in many other festivities, have had an impact that has turned Halloween night into a catwalk.
Thousands of users share, through platforms such as TikTok or Instagram, the creation of their costumes. They even share Halloween-themed dance videos, with the intention of going viral.
Among the most common costumes are the classics such as ghosts, pumpkins and zombies. But it is increasingly common to see especially young people characterised as some famous singers or as movie characters.
The origins of the festival date back more than 3,000 years, where the Celts used animal skin to scare away ghosts and evil figures. That is why it is considered a pagan festivity.
Photo by Cydneii Lung’aho
Due to their religious beliefs, many people refuse to wear a costume on Halloween.
Aadya Shrivastava, 22, a Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences expert said: “I do not celebrate Halloween in the traditional sense. But as a kid, I would go out trick-or-treating with friends. It was an excuse to be creative and get sweets.
“Kids usually dress up as characters from their favourite books, or as some kind of animals. I have not been around any kids for the longest time but I am 100% sure they are heavily influenced by social media.”
Despite the influence of social networks, there is a sector of the population that has a different perception about the festivity.
Dylan Magwede, 26, a customer service associate, said: “I have never ever dressed up for Halloween, but I do enjoy seeing other people’s costumes.”
However, others do enjoy creating their best outfits for that night.
Kahi Bradshaw, 23, a medical student said: “The influence for my costume is the skin called Cassidy from the video game Overwatch. I never made a costume myself, I just bought the clothes.
“I probably won’t post my look, unless someone takes a picture with me and posts it on social media.”
It is increasingly common for fast fashion companies, such as H&M, to launch specific campaigns. So the garments designed by them compete with the classic Halloween costumes.
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