In the early 20th century, American Halloween costumes maintained their pagan roots of being ghoulish and scary. According to CNN, costumes in the early 1900s were meant to ward off evil spirits, make peace with death, and otherwise frighten. They were homemade and of simple construction, often a mishmash of makeup, masks, and bedsheets designed to completely disguise the wearer's identity. As time went on, disposable store-bought costumes became more available, and people started impersonating pirates and gypsies — although, as Insider notes, variety was lacking. After World War II, television changed the costume game forever.

Costumes became a direct reflection of popular culture trends — though, per Newsweek, ghosts, witches, cats, and devils remained perennial favorites. According to Insider, cowboys, Popeye, Tinkerbell, Mickey Mouse, and superheroes (per CNN) were widespread in the 1950s. In the '60s, The Addams Family and Barbie were big, Star Wars characters took over the '70s, and E.T. and gory figures dominated the '80s. The '90s, meanwhile, were all about brand-name products like McDonald's fries and Tootsie Rolls. 

By the end of the 20th century, Halloween night was a hodgepodge of bloody corpses, princesses, scary clowns, superheroes, walking M&Ms, pirates, bedsheet ghosts, and adorable animals vying for candy or first prize in a costume contest.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunB9j25qcGlgZMSprdNmn5qknKTEprHNZq6aq12htqyxjKKlZmpgqbVur8Snq66qqWKurrHRopqaZw%3D%3D