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The shops are once again full of Halloween horrors, from fangtastic foodie treats and decorations to ghoulish games and costumes.
Elaborate Halloween celebrations have long-been popular in the US, but the UK is fast catching up as its popularity among Millennials and Gen Z grows.
Frightening Figures
Despite its origins in the Celtic culture of Ireland and Scotland, Halloween has tended to be a much lower-key affair in the UK compared with the US. However, that appears to be changing as a staggering £774 million is expected to be spent on Halloween costumes, celebrations and costumes in the UK this year. [1]
Halloween is also a time of scarily high waste figures. Research conducted by Hubbub and The Fairy Land Trust back in 2020 discovered that 83% of Halloween costumes use non-recyclable oil-based plastics, meaning landfill is their ultimate destination. And when you consider that 40% of Halloween costumes are worn just once, that’s an awful lot of waste.
In the US, the figures are naturally much higher with 67% of Americans spending an enormous $3.2 billion on costumes alone each year. [2]
Switch To A Scary And Sustainable Halloween
Since Hubbub and The Fairy Land Trust’s research, awareness of the environmental damage of single-use plastics has grown significantly. However, that doesn’t appear to have stopped the flood of plastic and polyester costumes hitting the shops. While recycled polyester has become more common, it still poses environmental risks through the micro-plastics it sheds during washing.
In search of a more sustainable celebration of spooks and spirits, we’d do well to look back at the history of dressing up in masks and costumes around the world.
Neolithic Ireland – Samhain
The origins of Halloween can be traced back 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain (sah-win) in neolithic Ireland. [3]
Samhain marked the division between the lighter and darker halves of the year – around 1 November – when it was believed the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest. To ward off harmful spirits passing through, people would disguise themselves as spirits by dressing up in masks and costumes, a practice that came to be known as ‘guising’. The tradition of guising was taken up in Scotland from the 16th century.
The practice of ‘souling’ is similarly reported to have its origins in Samhain but it was adopted as a Christian tradition in medieval times, only falling out of popularity in the mid-twentieth century. An evident precursor of trick or treating, souling saw children and the poor dressing up as spirits, ghosts and skeletons to visit the homes of the wealthy during Allhallowtide (31 October – 2 November) where they would offer to pray for the souls of loved ones in exchange for a soul cake (similar to shortbread). [4]
Ancient Greece
It was the ancient Greeks who are perhaps the more famous early wearers of masks and costumes. When worshipping the god of wine and pleasure, Dionysus (called Bacchus by the Romans), worshippers would impersonate the deity by wearing goatskins and drinking wine, with some wearing wooden masks [5].
Masks made of linen, leather or wood were also worn by actors in ancient Greek theatre productions to project expressions and portray different characters. The comedy and tragedy masks (one crying and one laughing) have come to be widely recognised as a symbol of the performing arts. [6]
11th-Century Italy And Onwards
The wearing of masks in Italy began in the 11th century when they were worn as a form of disguise to get around the country’s strict laws on gambling and carousing. Made from papier-mâche and painted white, the masks covered just half of the face so the wearer could eat, drink and speak. Over time, masks became more elaborate and were often painted or covered in velvet. The practice of mask wearing continued until the end of the 18th century when the Venetian Republic ended. [8]
Medieval Europe
Masks made from sustainable papier-mâché were used in the mystery plays – depicting stories from the Bible – popular throughout Europe during the Middle Ages (12th-16th centuries). The stories were brought to life with masks of devils and demons and grotesque representations of the seven deadly sins. [6]
14th-Century Japan
In classical Japanese Noh drama, first performed in the 14th century, masks are used to represent ghosts, the elderly, women, deities, and demons. The masks are made of wood and coated in plaster before being painted. [7]
Victorian Britain
Getting back to all things Halloween, the Victorians, who had a fascination with death and the macabre, embraced Halloween. Adults would often wear formal mourning dress with gothic headdresses or witches’ hats. Children would participate in the tradition of souling, wearing papier-mâché masks of witches, ghosts or interpretations of children’s faces. It was during the Victorian period that Halloween began to become an activity geared towards children, as it largely remains today. [3]
Embrace A Homemade Halloween
Making Halloween costumes at home can be huge amounts of fun – it’s the imperfections of the homemade that makes for a perfect Halloween!
Paper Halloween masks are easy to make, plus they’re inexpensive and highly sustainable. Once finished with, they can be saved for next year or popped in the paper waste for recycling, making sure any non-recyclable parts are removed first.
A paper mask can be as simple as cutting out and decorating a piece of card – you can download templates here or make up your own from scratch. For more elaborate masks, opt for papier-mâché à la medieval Italians or Victorian Britons – a quick search on the internet will reveal lots of guides and tutorials.
You can find a host of Love Paper Halloween downloads and activities here.
References
[1] www.finder.com
[5] Wikipedia
[6] Britannica
[7] Wikipedia
