Costumes
This household item is often used to make a quick and easy ghost costume.
A white bedsheet
This winged mythical creature was born from the blood of the gorgon Medusa after she was beheaded by Perseus.
Pegasus
During Samhain, Celts lit these large ceremonial fires to ward off evil spirits.
Bonfires
Breaking one of these objects is said to bring seven years of bad luck.
Mirror
This famous vampire character has inspired countless Halloween costumes since the 1931 film adaption.
Dracula
This lion-bodied, human-headed creature posed riddles to travelers outside Thebes, devouring those who answered incorrectly.
This popular Halloween color combination symbolizes the contrast between harvest and death.
Orange and Black
In ancient Egypt, this symbol — shaped like an eye — was believed to protect against evil.
The Eye of Horus
This is the most popular Halloween costume for children according to US surveys.
Superhero costumes
This creature is a magical fox spirit from Japanese folklore, best known for having nine tails.
Kitsune
During the Great Depression, trick-or-treating became popular partly as a way to reduce this kind of destructive Halloween behavior.
Vandalism or Pranking
This object, traditionally made of iron and hung over doorways, is meant to ward off evil spirits — but only if it points upward.
Paper mache
In Slavic folklore, this fiery female demon or witch rides in a mortar and wields a pestle as a weapon.
Baba Yaga
The practice of carving jack-o’-lanterns originally used this vegetable before pumpkins became common in America.
This number is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures because its pronunciation sounds like the word for “death.”
Number 4
The tradition of wearing costumes on Halloween originated from this ancient Celtic festival.
Samhain
The sky goddess of Egyptian mythology, often depicted arched over the earth god Geb.
Nut
The first known reference to “trick or treat” appeared in print in this decade.
1920s
Before walking under a ladder became unlucky, the triangle shape it formed symbolized this sacred concept.
Holy Trinity/Divine perfection