Halloween Costumes

October 25, 2022

Written by Megan Moran

Halloween celebrations are beginning and many of us may attend them this upcoming weekend. Picking out the perfect costume is an enjoyable part of the holiday but wearing a costume that appropriates a culture is not okay no matter how “perfect” it is. It is never okay to wear a costume that disrespects or makes fun of race, identity groups, ethnic groups, etc. To make sure your costume is not cultural appropriation, information on costumes to not wear can be found below.

An area of Halloween costumes to avoid is anything that has religious significance or is involved in a specific cultural ceremony. Those are pieces including but not limited to turbans, headdresses, tribal markings, and sugar skull costumes for Día de Los Muertos. There are some differing opinions about people dressing up as their favorite Disney character like Moana, Mulan, or Pocahontas; some do find it to be insensitive while others don’t. That decision is up for your judgment but keep in mind to never change your race for a costume.

Furthermore, painting your skin to change your race is never acceptable. Doing blackface, yellowface, or brownface is never a good costume, but it is always very disrespectful and offensive. Many celebrities throughout time have been seen doing this and in recent years people have been calling them out for it and bringing up how problematic it is.

Dressing up as a culture stereotype is cultural appropriation, minimizing a whole group of people to one stereotype is not acceptable. Costumes that do this can be found in Halloween stores and on websites; however, that does not make it ever okay to purchase and wear. Stereotype costumes include but are not limited to wearing a grass skirt and coconut bra; a poncho, mustache, and sombrero; cornrows; dreadlocks; and a hijab.

Offensive costumes also include poking fun at people with mental illness by dressing up as a mental hospital patient or someone like Jeffrey Dahmer. Criminals like Jeffrey Dahmer or terrorists like Osama Bin Laden are not appropriate costumes and ignore the pain and suffering people went through as a result of those people. Dressing up as a zombie version of a celebrity who has passed away or wearing a costume that makes fun of body types are other examples of offensive costumes to never wear.

There are so many possibilities for what you can dress up as Halloween that are not offensive and don’t appropriate cultures. Please steer clear of these costumes, if you’re not sure if your costume is offensive, pick another one or ask a trustworthy source! Have a safe and Happy Halloween!