History Behind Most Worn Halloween Masks Of Today
Author: Paul Hulse

We all wear Halloween masks with our costumes for fun during
trick-or-treat, but do you know where these masks originated
from, such as the hockey mask or werewolf mask? Do you know the
origins of the ever sinful witch mask? Not all originate from
paganistic pasts. These are the true origins of popular
Halloween masks today: the history behind witch masks, werewolf
masks, and hockey masks.

The True History of Witch Masks

Witch masks actually do have a interesting and dark history.
Europeans used to believe that witches gathered twice a year
during two specific dates -- which strangely enough, coincided
with Celtic festivals Beltane and Samhain -- and cause havoc for
innocent citizens. These witches would ride on their wooden
broomsticks and celebrate with the Devil, sometimes casting evil
spells on unsuspecting citizens. With the rise of Christianity,
Christians grew fearful of these evil witches, branding
Halloween a holiday of the Devil. Christians also blamed the
black plague on witches because they thought they cast spells.

During the first immigration in the early 1700s, European
settlers brought those witchy beliefs with them. Native
Americans believed in witches too, so that belief never died
out. By the 1900s, when Halloween was turned into an acceptable,
non-pagan holiday, children wore masks for fun. Little girls
wore witch masks in particular, hoping to ghoul up some
trick-or-treat fun.

The Hairy History of Werewolf Masks

The earliest history of werewolves is evidenced in Greek
mythology. Legend goes that Lycoan and his fifty sons attempted
to entertain the god Zeus with a hearty dish of human flesh.
Disgusted, they were turned into werewolves. Another verse says
than poor Lycaon scarified a child to the mighty Zeus on top of
Mount Lycaeus. After the child was sacrificed, he was turned
into a werewolf.

Werewolf folk literature was rampant throughout Europe, and
when immigrants moved to America, they brought that hairy tale
with them. Americans seemingly forgot this hairy history until
John Landis produced a movie called An American Werewolf in
London. This movie inspired pop star Michael Jackson, who turned
into a werewolf zombie in his epic music video Thriller.
Millions of fans later, children regularly wore werewolf masks
during Halloween, hoping to spook a neighbor or two.

The Blood History of Hockey Masks

When children wear hockey masks for Halloween, it isn't because
they love hockey. It's thanks to a movie called Friday the 13th.


Released in 1980, Friday the 13th was a classic Halloween
horror movie set in a summer camp. After drowning in a lake,
Jason Voorhees returns from the dead and decides to ruin summer
camp for everyone. No hot chocolate this time!

Friday the 13th continued to have ghoulish sequels where Jason
never seems to die (just like his Halloween counterpart Michael
Myers), and young, innocent children emulated Mr. Voorhees by
wearing ghoulish hockey masks -- no machetes involved, of
course. Instead of associating it with good ol' Canadian fun,
history associates hockey masks with Mr. Voorhees and fun times
with a bloody machete. Happy Halloween!

Despite its evil connotations, however, these Halloween masks
aren't all bad. Although we feared these creatures in years
past, it's all just in the spirit of Halloween fun now. Or so
everyone thinks.


About The Author: Paul Hulse writes for the Halloween Costumes
online retailer http://www.incostume.com. Please visit their
site for more information on Halloween Costumes