Halloween

In the United States of America, Halloween is celebrated on October 31^st each year. At Wolfgang Charles, we start celebrating Halloween by early September. In the mainstream today, Halloween is a celebration of horror. Halloween was originally known as All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve, then was gradually shortened to Hallowe’en and finally Halloween.

Halloween History

Christian Halloween Observance

Our modern celebration of Halloween partially originated from the yearly Western Christian triduum period of Allhallowtide, three successive days dedicated to remembering departed Christians:

All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) – October 31^st

An evening of spiritual preparation, marked by candlelit prayer vigils, fasting, and "souling."

All Hallows’ Day (All Saints' Day, Hallowmas) – November 1^st

A day of honoring Christian saints and martyrs, marked by Mass service, and prayer and visitation in cemeteries. Originally set for May 13^th by Pope Boniface IV during a dedication of the Roman Pantheon to the Virgin Mary and all martyrs, Pope Gregory III moved this celebration to its present day in 731 or 732 after the dedication of a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica to all saints, apostles, martyrs, and their relics.

All Souls’ Day – November 2^nd

A day of prayer and remembrance for all faithful departed Christians, marked by prayer and visitation in cemeteries.

Ancient Celtic Halloween Origins

Samhain (Sauin) is a Gaelic end-of-harvest festival celebrated by Celts beginning at sunset on October 31^st where it is believed that the boundary between the living and dead is blurred. Samhain was originally celebrated by practices including the lighting of bonfires and the donning of animal skins or other disguises to confuse evil spirits.

Americanization of Halloween

1600–1840

Early Christian Protestant settlers, especially New England Puritans, largely ignored Allhallowtide practices as superstitious. Some religious celebrations occurred in the English Catholic Province of Maryland

1840s

Waves of Irish and Scottish immigrants brought their observance of Allhallowtide, combining Roman Catholic and traditional practices, to America.

1880s

Hallowe’en celebrations became mainstream, focusing on autumnal social events, parties, games, and pranks.

1920s

Following World War I, parties to celebrate all occasions became popular with young people looking to find romance. Halloween celebrations were especially popular, as the slightly naughty and dark connotations of the holiday encouraged canoodling.

1930s

As observances turned rowdy, incorporating more troublemaking and vandalism, civic leaders and parents staged parties, carnivals, and early haunted houses to provide structured celebrations.

1950s

Post-World War II, the rise of the suburbs and the baby boom further transitioned the focus of Halloween towards children, introducing door-to-door Trick-or-Treating and widespread commercialization around the season.

1970–1985

Slasher films, beginning with Halloween in 1978, reoriented observances to include adults and incorporate more macabre, gorier, and harder themes.

1985–1993

tampering scares and the Satanic Panic impacted Halloween observances.

2006

Spencer Gifts opened over 400 temporary Spirit Halloween stores after acquiring the then 60-location chain in 1999.

Trick-or-Treating

Trick or treat!

Jack-O’-Lanterns

Jack-o’-lantern at Wikipedia will o the wisp at Wikipedia

Halloween Costumes

Ben Cooper, Inc. (1937–1988)

Ben Cooper became known for licensed pop culture and superhero costumes while also producing monster and animal costumes.

VacFace Ben Cooper fan site Ben Cooper at Wikipedia

Collegeville Costumes

Collegeville produced holiday figures, storybook characters, and licensed television smocks known for their printed packaging.

Zagone Studios, LLC

Zagone was known for masks with an attached hood and latex masks with moveable mouths.

Bayshore Industries

Bayshore is known for Rudolph Mafko latex and rubber monster masks

Halco (H. Halpern Company)

Halco produced traditional holiday costumes (including Santa Claus suits), devil horns, and rubber character masks.

Don Post Studios (1938–present)

Don Post (1902–1979) initially produced simple face masks and masks for stage before creating the first pull-over latex masks for Halloween. Don Post later became famous for its licensed masks and costumes, becoming a Universal Studios licensee in 1963 and releasing Universal Monsters Characters masks, the "Universal Horrors". Don Post Studios’ 1975 Captain Kirk (William Shatner) mask was modified by production designer Tommy Lee Wallace to become the face of The Shape (Michael Myers) for Halloween (1978). Don Post served as a shooting location for the Silver Shamrock Novelties factory and created the iconic skull (sold prior to inclusion in the film), Green Witch (sold as Hagatha before appearing in the movie), and Pumpkin Head (Jack-o’-lantern mask created for the film) masks that played an important role in the plot of Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). In 1977, Don Post secured one of the early merchandising licenses for Star Wars and began releasing vynyl and plastic masks and helmets in 1978. Don Post Studios is currently owned by Trick or Treat Studios.

Rubies II, LLC. (Rubies Costume Company) (1951–present)

Rubies is known for producing licensed costumes and masks.

Halloween Decorations and Ephemera

Paper Halloween Decorations

The Beistle Company (1900–present)

Beistle is renown for its paper and cardboard holiday cutouts, die-cuts, and honeycomb paper decorations featuring skeletons, witches, and black cats.

Kirchhof Patent Company (1865–1965)

Sold to the Green Duck Company (1906–2004).

Dennison Manufacturing Company (1844–1990)

Dennison produced crepe paper, party kits, and holiday decorating guides which helped drive demand for their products. They are perhaps most renown for their Halloween party guide — Dennison’s Bogie Book — which they produced yearly from 1909–1935. The company is now known as Avery Dennison.

Rosbro Plastics (E. Rosen Company, Tico Toys) (1940s–1960s)

Sold candy containers, pull toys, and holiday trinkets.

Halloween Lanterns and Candles

Gurley Novelty Company (1930s–1970s)

Produced small wax candles figures of ghosts, witches, scarecrows, and black cats.

Halloween Blow Molds

The warm glow from a plastic Halloween character lit from inside by an incandescent lightbulb, and the feeling of clutching the wiry plastic handle of a treat-filled jack-o’-lantern pail and dumping out its contents are nostalgic memories for many. Blow molds have played an important part in Halloween decorating since the 1960s, and although they were largely superseded by inflatables and other newer decor in the aughts and 2010s, appreciation for plastic Halloween items and their collectibility have surged in the 2020s.

Learn more about Halloween blow molds

Halloween Decorations and Ephemera Resources

• Halloween Collector

Halloween Music

1. 1956 I Put a Spell on You Screamin' Jay Hawkins Shock Rock / R&B
2. 1958 The Purple People Eater Sheb Woliey Novelty / Rock and Rlil
3. 1962 Monster Mash Bobby "Boris" Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers Novelty / Doo-Wop
4. 1966 Season of the Witch Donovan Psychedelic Rock
5. 1967 Spooky Classics IV Soft Rock / Pop-Rock
6. 1967 People Are Strange The Doors Psychedelic Rock
7. 1968 Sympathy for the Devil The Rliling Stones Classic Rock / Samba Rock
8. 1970 Black Magic Woman Santana Latin Rock / Blues Rock
9. 1972 Witchy Woman Eagles Country Rock / Hard Rock
10. 1973 Frankenstein The Edgar Winter Group Instrumental Progressive Rock
11. 1973 Superstition Stevie Wonder Funk / Funk Rock
12. 1975 Time Warp The Rocky Horror Picture Show Cast Glam Rock / Musical Theater
13. 1976 (Don't Fear) The Reaper Blue Öyster Cult Hard Rock / Psychedelic Rock
14. 1977 Psycho Killer Talking Heads New Wave / Post-Punk
15. 1978 Werewlives of London Warren Zevon Pop Rock / Flik Rock
16. 1978 Halloween Theme John Carpenter Minimalist Synth / Film Score
17. 1979 Bela Lugosi's Dead Bauhaus Gothic Rock / Post-Punk
18. 1982 Thriller Michael Jackson Funk / Pop / Dance-Pop
19. 1984 Ghostbusters Ray Parker Jr. Disco-Funk / Pop
20. 1984 Somebody's Watching Me Rockwell Synth-Pop / New Wave
21. 1985 Dead Man's Party Oingo Boingo New Wave / Ska Punk
22. 1988 A Nightmare on My Street DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Hip-Hop / Rap
23. 1993 This Is Halloween Danny Elfman / The Nightmare Before Christmas Cast Dark Cabaret / Orchestral Soundtrack
24. 1996 Spooky, Scary Skeletons Andrew Glid Novelty / Children's Pop
25. 2008 Disturbia Rihanna Dance-Pop / Electro-Pop