23 photos that show how Halloween has evolved since it was popularized in the late 1800s

Gabbi ShawOct 16, 2020, 21:56 IST

Halloween in the '80s was certainly bright.Walt Zeboski/AP

Though Halloween was first celebrated as a pagan festival 2,000 years ago, it really began to resemble what we celebrate today in the late 1800s.
Over the years, costumes have become both more pop culture dependent and more realistic.

Halloween originated from a Celtic festival called Samhain, which was celebrated 2,000 years ago and centered around lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off spirits and fairies. Back then, costumes acted as protection, not just an excuse to show off your Pinterest skills.

Clearly, Halloween has changed quite a bit not just since it was Samhain, but since it became a popularized secular holiday in the late 19th century. From the 1870s to the 1890s, people mostly made their own witch and ghost costumes, as mass-produced paper costumes and buckram masks didn't hit stores until the early 1900s. In the present, intricate pop culture costumes reign supreme — but it remains to be seen how Halloween is celebrated in the time of COVID-19.

Keep scrolling to learn about how All Hallows' Eve has transformed, and see the changes for yourself.

While Halloween was originally celebrated as the Celtic festival Samhain, the holiday as we know it today really took form around the late 1800s.

Circa 1865. London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images

Bobbing for apples has been a popular Halloween custom since the 1800s.

Kids bobbing for apples in 1939. AP

Trick-or-treating was mentioned for the first time in 1927, but seems to have been around longer.

Halloween, 1942. AP

Pumpkins, in general, are a sign of both fall and Halloween, and jack-o'-lanterns date back as far as the early 1800s.

A pumpkin patch in 1976. AP

The most pervasive theory on how jack-o'-lanterns became associated with Halloween is that it was a popular prank used to scare people.

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil pumpkins in 1965. AP

Pranks are also a distinctly Halloween-y activity.

Policemen from an upper Manhattan precinct, dressed in matching Groucho masks, gaze from the window of their car on Halloween night, 1980. AP Photo/Luongo

In the 1900s and 1910s, Victorian America became fascinated by the Far East and anything considered "exotic."

An Egyptian. Robert Natkin/Getty Images

Cats, much like today, were a popular choice in the 1920s.

An actress dressed as a cat. Hulton Archive/ Getty Images

Beloved costumes like Minnie Mouse have evolved since the '30s.

A Minnie Mouse costume in 1933. Sasha /Getty Images

Ready-to-wear boxed costumes became popular in the 1940s.

A woman dressed as a pirate in the 1940s. H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty

In the '50s, cowboy costumes were all the rage — the space age had yet to take hold.

A child dressed up as a cowboy in 1953. Chaloner Woods/ Getty Images

Masks were a far cry from the hyper-realistic ones we see today.

A schoolgirl made her own Halloween mask in 1955. Jacobsen/ Getty Images

As we moved into the '60s, comic book characters became a popular costume choice.

1966. Jacob Harris/AP

People started dressing as their favorite stars.

An 11-year-old KISS fan poses in his Paul Stanley makeup on Halloween. Harvey L. Silver/Corbis via Getty Images

Like everything else in the '80s, the costumes became brightly colored and flamboyant.

Halloween revelers in 1986. Walt Zeboski/AP

"A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" was released shortly before Halloween in 1989, and kids were lining up to dress as the sleep demon.

Some of the more frightening masks for Halloween are shown on display at the Boston Costume Shop in 1989. AP Photo/Elise Amendola

Pop culture continued to play a part in Halloween costumes throughout the '90s, like this Dalmatian costume.

It was hard to tell these two apart on Halloween 1996. Duane Burleson/AP

Even politicians get into the fun, like when former Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper dressed up as the Beast and Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" in 1995.

Vice President and Mrs. Gore pose for a photo as they are dressed up as The Beauty and the Beast October 28, 1995. Ho New/Reuters

Beginning around 1982, fears of drug-, poison-, or weapon-laced candy took hold.

Tim Dey and Jim Nussbaum dressed as Marie Antoinette and King Louis XV respectively, stroll down Santa Monica Boulevard during Halloween night festivities on October 31, 1997. Chris Pizzello/AP

After 9/11, some Americans took the time to commemorate the tragedy less than two months later.

A display of Jack-o-lanterns commemorating the September 11 attacks as part of the Halloween Spectacular at Roger Williams Zoo on October 31, 2001. Victoria Arocho/AP

In the 2000s, "sexy" versions of iconic costumes became popular, like this "sexy" cop.

Singer Samantha Cole at the Capitale Halloween Party in 2002. Star Max/AP Images

Concerns about cultural appropriation in Halloween costumes have become mainstream recently.

Julianne Hough in blackface. Splash News

Today, there's an emphasis on going all out, like Heidi Klum and her now-husband Tom Kaulitz as Shrek and Princess Fiona in 2018. Though, with parties being less frequent this year, we'll see what Halloween looks like this year.

Model and television personality Heidi Klum and Tom Kaulitz dressed as Shrek and Princess Fiona arrive at her 19th annual Halloween party at Lavo New York on October 31, 2018. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Today, there's an emphasis on going all out, like Heidi Klum and her now-husband Tom Kaulitz as Shrek and Princess Fiona in 2018. Though, with parties being less frequent this year, we'll see what Halloween looks like this year.

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23 photos that show how Halloween has evolved since it was popularized in the late 1800s

While Halloween was originally celebrated as the Celtic festival Samhain, the holiday as we know it today really took form around the late 1800s.

Bobbing for apples has been a popular Halloween custom since the 1800s.

Trick-or-treating was mentioned for the first time in 1927, but seems to have been around longer.

Pumpkins, in general, are a sign of both fall and Halloween, and jack-o'-lanterns date back as far as the early 1800s.

The most pervasive theory on how jack-o'-lanterns became associated with Halloween is that it was a popular prank used to scare people.

Pranks are also a distinctly Halloween-y activity.

In the 1900s and 1910s, Victorian America became fascinated by the Far East and anything considered "exotic."

Cats, much like today, were a popular choice in the 1920s.

Beloved costumes like Minnie Mouse have evolved since the '30s.

Ready-to-wear boxed costumes became popular in the 1940s.

In the '50s, cowboy costumes were all the rage — the space age had yet to take hold.

Masks were a far cry from the hyper-realistic ones we see today.

As we moved into the '60s, comic book characters became a popular costume choice.

People started dressing as their favorite stars.

Like everything else in the '80s, the costumes became brightly colored and flamboyant.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" was released shortly before Halloween in 1989, and kids were lining up to dress as the sleep demon.

Pop culture continued to play a part in Halloween costumes throughout the '90s, like this Dalmatian costume.

Even politicians get into the fun, like when former Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper dressed up as the Beast and Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" in 1995.

Beginning around 1982, fears of drug-, poison-, or weapon-laced candy took hold.

After 9/11, some Americans took the time to commemorate the tragedy less than two months later.

In the 2000s, "sexy" versions of iconic costumes became popular, like this "sexy" cop.

Concerns about cultural appropriation in Halloween costumes have become mainstream recently.

Today, there's an emphasis on going all out, like Heidi Klum and her now-husband Tom Kaulitz as Shrek and Princess Fiona in 2018. Though, with parties being less frequent this year, we'll see what Halloween looks like this year.