Last Minute Halloween Costumes for Catholics

The celebration of Halloween among Catholics is showing a new trend. Catholic parents refuse to allow their children to be "witches, goblins, devils, or ghosts". Alternative ways to celebrating Halloween are becoming the norm among Catholic parishes in the last few years.

A popular event in Catholic churches during Halloween is called the "All Saints Party". The children are encouraged to wear costumes that depict the Saint of their choice.

There is a huge market for Catholic Halloween Costumes. At the moment, Catholichomeandgarden.com provides a comprehensive array of options. For budget-conscious Catholics, there are some ways to make last-minute costumes at home.

1. Nuns

There are many Saints who entered the Convent. This includes St. Bernadette Soubirous, Saint Bridget of Ireland, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Clare of Assisi, Saint Faustina Kowalska, Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, St. Rose of Lima, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Theresa of Lisieux, and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

The basic costume for a nun requires a long sleeve white or black sweatshirt. If you go with the black sweat shirt, you can put inside the sweatshirt and white collared shirt with the "button side" at the back rather than in front. You can let a necklace with a huge cross pendant hang on your child's neck. Little children can tie a black sash around the waist. Older children can wear a long, black skirt. Your child can also put a cloak around her or make a tunic.

2. Monks, priests, bishops, cardinal, popes

There are many Saints who were priests, monks, brothers, cardinals, and bishops. This includes Saint John Bosco, Saint Benedict, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony, St. Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, and Saint John Vianney,

A child can wear a black sweatshirt with a white turtle neck underneath it. Or the child can wear a white shirt with collar turned backwards as another alternative.

For accessories, you can make a mitre. A mitre is a head gear or head dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Catholic Church. Using a poster board or felt, parents can shape it and fit it on their child's head.

Catholichomeandgarden.com has step-by-step instructions on how to make a tunic. First, you can get a rectangle of felt. Measure your child's body from the shoulder to the mid-thigh for the length and then multiply it by 2. Fold it in half. Fold it another half again and snip off a gentle curve so that your child's head can fit on the hole. Do not cut the hole too big.

Another accessory to make is to cut out a cross and glue it on the shirt.

Another head gear that you can use is called a "biretta". St. John Bosco, the Salesian founder, is typically depicted with a biretta. A biretta is a square cap with three or four ridges traditionally worn by the clergy. It is color black but it can also be used to distinguish the ranks from cardinals, priests, and deacons. The Cardinals wear scarlet red and made of silk. Priests, deacons and seminarians wear black.

To make a biretta, you cut out a black round cloth and tie the corners upward. Put a black pompon on the tip.

3. Blessed Mother, Mary and the Apostles

The Blessed Mother Mary can be depicted through a white gown with blue cloak trimmed in gold. Saint Mary Magdalene and St. Martha can be shown in shepherdess clothes with white scarf wrapped around their heads and across their shoulder.

Various symbolic items can be used for the disciples. Saint Andrew is a fisherman, so your child can carry a fishing net. Saint Bartholomew can be symbolized with three knives as he was martyred. Saint James can be represented by scallop shells and a saw since he is a patron saint of pilgrims. Saint John can be represented using a cup with a winged serpent as he was challenged to drink a cup of poison. For Saint Matthew, you can use money bags or hatchets since he is a tax collector. Saint Paul may be represented by a sword. Saint Peter may be represented with "keys" or a rooster. Saint Jude Thaddeus is symbolized with a club. Missionary saints can be represented by "ships" for their missionary journeys.

4. Saints who were Kings, Queen, Knights, Warriors, Military

Saints also led nations as royalty. Some of the saintly kings include Saint Aethelbert of Kent, Saint Canute of Denmark, Blessed Charles, Count of Flanders, Saint Constantine the Great, Saint David King of Scotland, Saind Edward, Saint, Edwin of Northumbria, Saint Ferdinand of Castile and Leon, Saint Henry II, German King and Roman Emperor, Blessed Humbert III, Count of Savoy, Saint Ladislas I of Hungary, Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Olaf of Norway, Saint Stephen of Hungary.

Saints who were Queens include Saint Clotilde of France, Saint Dymphna, Saint Elisabeth of Hungary, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, Saint Helena Empress, Saint Hedwig of Poland, Saint Jeanne de Valois, Saint Margaret of Scotland.

Warrior Saints include St. George the Dragon Slayer, St. Michael the Archangel, Saint Joan of Arc, martyrs, and St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Children can dress up like kings with capes, crown, satiny shirt, gold belt, scepter and long socks. Girls can wear the traditional princess and queen costumes while using a symbol to represent their kingdoms in the country. Boys can also dress up as warrior kings using tunics, capes, crown, sword, head piece, cowl, knighthood armor, silver boots. Children can also dress up as Crusader kings by wearing red tunics with gold emblem on chest, black pants, black boots with sword and crown accessories. Children can also be roman soldiers, roman gladiators, and medieval warriors.

Conclusion:

The newest trends in celebrating Halloween in the Catholic community challenged its members. To make the holiday something to look forward to, Catholic parents engaged the children to choose a Saint. Wearing a Catholic costume will allow them to participate actively in the "Halloween party" in Catholic parishes. Parents use this event as an avenue to explain the lives of various saints to the children. Children are learning about how God called the Saints to a life of service for Him. Through role playing, Catholic children experience Halloween in a virtuous-filled day. Catholic children are led further to explore readings about the Saints. After Halloween, there is no doubt that Catholic children come out more inspired and on fire to live their Catholic faith.

Source:

"Catholic Costumes", Catholichomeandgarden.com