The earliest reference to a costume worn on Halloween is from Scotland, in 1585. For centuries people dressed up for Halloween events. Anthropologists theorize that the costume may originate from the idea that on the holiday we now call Halloween, called many other things such as Hallows Eve, Samhain, and Calan Gaeaf, among others, was a time when spirits were able to roam the Earth more easily. The tradition of going door to door dressed in costume may have originated as people impersonating spirits to receive blessings and prayers. Other ideas surround the fact that disguising oneself offered protection from the spirits roaming at that time.

Halloween would develop with time, photos show people have long since dressed as non-scary things, like historical or fictional characters, or animals; one photo depicts a group dressed as mushrooms. Halloween parties, sometimes referred to as ‘fancy dress’ parties, were hosted by families all over North America and Europe. With time however, people became upset at the increase in mischief and vandalism that Halloween brought, and as such, people were encouraged to stay at home, while children became the target audience for the holiday. This was increasingly reinforced as Halloween became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s. It was around this time that masks were often ditched in costumes, as they were thought to contribute to the vandalism, mischief, and even riots that sometimes occurred.

Today, people continue to dress up as historical, or fictional characters. Many of the most popular Halloween costumes have been that way for decades. Many Edwardians can be seen dressed as witches, ghosts, and clowns. One Victorian guide shows some costume examples one might have used for inspirations, among them are goblins, what perhaps today would be called a devil, a butterfly, a bee, and a nurse; all of these are still common costumes today.