What to Wear for Halloween: 41 Halloween Costume Ideas for a Family of 3
The scariest and one of the most fun holidays of the year is approaching - Halloween. That means it's time to prepare traditional Halloween costumes for a family of three. Over the years of celebrating, you've probably worn costumes of all the scariest characters and symbols. In recent years, there has been a trend of expanding the costume options, with characters from different fairy tales that originally had nothing to do with Halloween. This is a good thing because if you have a young child in the family, they can get very scared if there are only skeletons, ghosts, and witches in the dark.
To have fun during Halloween and not feel left out due to the wrong costumes for a family of three, you can buy or make the right accessories, or even several of them. As the holiday approaches, ideas multiply in your head, making the already difficult choice even more complicated. We will try to make your choice easier and also remind you of what Halloween is, its history, and its symbols and omens.
What is Halloween?
This holiday falls on the border of two months (on the night from October 31st to November 1st) and was first celebrated by the ancient Celtic people, who believed that with the arrival of this once-a-year night, the boundary between worlds disappears, and the living can see the dead, and ghosts gain access to the souls of the living.
History of Halloween
The first records of the holiday date back to the 16th century. Its name comes from the English phrase "All Hallows Even," which translates to "Evening before All Saints' Day." Historians usually associate Halloween with the Celtic festival of Samhain. Long ago, the Celtic tribes divided the year into only two seasons, summer and winter, and October 31st was considered the day when summer turned into winter, the end of the harvest season. And the significance of the day for the Celts was much greater. Over time, October 31st became surrounded by legends, becoming a mystical event accompanied by more and more rituals and customs. Some of these rituals are still carried out in some places today. Eventually, Samhain was replaced by Halloween, firmly establishing itself in history as All Saints' Day.
Similar holidays are celebrated in other countries as well. For example, in Mexico, the first two days of November are dedicated to honoring the deceased. Relatives who have passed away are welcomed with all available splendor during the holiday, and city streets are filled with small decorations in the form of coffins and chocolate or marzipan skulls. People dress up as skeletons, and at night, family members clean graves. In Peru, residents perform a special dance dedicated to the spirits of the lakes. In Germany, at the turn of May and June, Walpurgis Night is celebrated, with homes adorned with witch-themed accessories. In Scandinavia, on the contrary, in an attempt to ward off evil spirits, people light bonfires and make a lot of noise. In Russia, in the second half of January, the holiday of Svyatki is celebrated, during which people, just like during Halloween, visit homes to collect sweets, tell fortunes, and dress up as spirits. On the night of October 31st to November 1st, Veliky Night is celebrated here, when it is customary to wait for deceased relatives to visit and talk to them, listening to their advice. Instead of evil spirits' costumes, people light candles to illuminate the path for lost souls.
Symbols and Omens
The main and most well-known symbol of Halloween is the pumpkin with a candle inside. It's also called Jack-o'-lantern, and its purpose was to protect people from evil spirits and ward off other supernatural entities. According to legend, Jack was someone who couldn't align himself with either God or the Devil and was forced to wander in the darkness with his lantern, attracting all wandering souls.
Scary costumes are also an integral part of the holiday, as they help you blend in with the supernatural and avoid being caught by it.
It's customary to prepare dishes with apples for the holiday and bake a special bread called "barmbrack" with raisins and grapes. Additionally, the dough includes a small token, a pea, a ring, a piece of fabric, and coins. With this set, you can predict the future. If you find the pea, don't expect a wedding soon; a coin indicates prosperity, a piece of fabric foretells financial difficulties, and a ring signifies an impending marriage.
So, what's up? The holiday is just around the corner! The fun is about to begin! Let's get dressed up!
Executioner Costume
Such a charming executioner with equally resourceful family members can be created if you allow yourself to have some fun. Beware, supernatural entities! We're ready to face you! Dark pants and a light shirt can be found in any wardrobe, a red hood can be crafted from an old T-shirt, and an axe can be made from sturdy cardboard and painted. A family of bloodthirsty executioners, consisting of mom, dad, and child, is ready to fight against evil.
Disney Frozen Costume
You can choose any costume; it's not necessary to disguise yourself as a supernatural entity; the main thing is to hide from it. So why not do it in costumes of characters from your favorite animated movie? Dress your son as Olaf, your mom as Elsa, and your dad as Sven. It will make a good shelter from evil holiday spirits.
Alice in Wonderland
Costumes of characters from "Alice in Wonderland" are perfect for Halloween; there's definitely something mystical in this fairy tale. Dad as the Mad Hatter, mom as the Red Queen, and the daughter in an Alice costume will blend in perfectly with the celebrating friends.
Jurassic Park
The dynamic movie about ancient reptiles captivates and mesmerizes from the first frame. A family of three can dress up in comfortable, soft dinosaur costumes and happily appear on the city streets or celebrate the holiday at a friendly party. Alternatively, the family can become the main characters of the film and dress their pet as a cute plush dinosaur.
Mary Poppins
The world-famous nanny and her charges are a fantastic choice for a Halloween costume for a family of three or more. You can dress up as characters from this book in a whole group of friends or even a small company - Mr. and Mrs. Banks, Jane and Michael, Miss Andrews and Mr. Robertson, and of course, Mary Poppins.
Addams Family
To create Addams Family costumes for a family of three, you don't need much effort – black clothing is something everyone has in their wardrobe. With a bit of makeup, you can elegantly join the festivities. The eerie and mysterious personas of Wednesday, Morticia, Gomez, and other characters will definitely make an impression on everyone.
Scooby-Doo
Creating costumes for characters from this cartoon is very easy. Moreover, you probably won't even have to spend money on them – just pick everyday clothes in the right colors, and you're ready to join the celebration. Even if you have a pet and want to take it with you to the event, there are options. If you feel that such costumes are not entirely thematic, but you don't want to give up such a convenient option, you can always use one of the Halloween accessories – a pumpkin-shaped pin, a skeleton pendant, or any mysterious and enigmatic symbol, etc.
Little Red Riding Hood
The fairy tale of a girl in a red hood, at first glance, may seem like a moral story, but it depends on how you look at it. If you try, you can see many sinister moments in it, so costumes of fairytale characters would be suitable for a family of three during the celebration of All Saints' Day. Mom or daughter can dress up as the lovely Little Red Riding Hood, while dad and the little boy can become wonderful wolves or hunters.
The Little Mermaid
A whole world of characters from the magical story of the underwater princess opens up when you refer to the Ariel cartoon. Mermaid costumes, the sea king, the evil sorceress, the prince, the king, and the queen – you can easily choose costumes for a family of three from the characters in the cartoon. Among the characters, you can even choose a costume for your pet and not leave them without a festive outfit.
Superheroes
Stylish capes have no place in everyday life, but you can fulfill this dream on Halloween by dressing up as superheroes as a family of three, and even provide your pet with a festive costume. A complete family set can be purchased at a store, rented, or crafted by hand. Even if there's more than one child in the family, no one will be left out. Silk fabric and felt can be used as materials to create various details.
And after the holiday, you can continue to use the capes from the costumes in other games and activities.
Knights
Knight's armor is not an easy thing, but with some effort, you can handle such costumes using available materials – old clothing items, cardboard boxes, wooden pieces, and paint. If you want the knight's costume set for a family of three to look professional, you can purchase it from one of the specialty stores or rent it.
Hippies
One of the easiest ideas for Halloween costumes for a family of three or more. You can put together such a look in any family by asking the older generation for advice on clothing style, and natural-geometric motifs are still fashionable today.
Back to the Future
The famous movie has been watched by several generations. The images of beloved characters can easily be recreated since you can use practically any everyday clothing items from all family members – jeans, unisex jackets, vests, sneakers, etc. The most challenging part might be the scientist's outfit, but this can be solved by purchasing a white jumpsuit from a specialized clothing store.
Zoo Animals
For Halloween, a costume of any animal, whether wild or domestic, will do. Choose the animal you like the most and celebrate All Saints' Day with your family joyfully.
Thieves and Policeman
A cute policeman costume can be created for your child, and very original thieves for the parents. Or vice versa. The design of the policeman's costume can be quite complex.
If you are not content with just using police or thief accessories, you may need to have it custom-made, purchase it, or rent it.
If you have a pet, you can dress them up as a bag of stolen goods.
Chef
Dressing up as a family of chefs and a little chef would be a fun choice for Halloween. If you have an infant in the family, you can set up their cradle in a large kitchen bowl for added effect.
Harry Potter
Costumes in the style of Harry Potter are one of the most popular choices for Halloween attire. The characters of Harry Potter, Hermione, Weasley, Dumbledore, Dobby the Elf, Hagrid, are in high demand at all costume parties. Of course, the spirit of Halloween is best embodied by the image of Lord Voldemort.
Wizard of Oz
The Wizard, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and other characters from this story are suitable for becoming them during Halloween celebrations.
LEGO
LEGO sets have been loved, are loved (and will be loved) by kids, both boys and girls. That's why family costumes for Halloween can be made in the style of this popular children's pastime.
Skeletons
When choosing a Halloween costume, the idea of wearing a skeleton jumpsuit often comes to mind first. While it may not add anything new, this costume remains less popular. Your family of skeletons will look great among the people celebrating this autumn holiday.
Pirates
A family of pirates is what you need to combat evil and the supernatural.
Bat
A bat is one of the main symbols of Halloween, so disguising your family of three as creatures of the night in such outfits will be excellent. Moreover, it is extremely easy to do – adding black wings made of felt and a mask to your black clothing and shoes will complete the look.
Black Cat
Another costume that is perfectly suited to the Halloween theme in terms of color, texture, and symbolism is the black cat.
The most challenging part here is that you may need to craft (if you can't buy or don't want to) the ears. To make them, you will need wire, felt, thread, and hot glue. Black feather boas can be used as tails.
The Incredibles
Costumes of well-known characters from the popular movie about The Incredibles family are perfect for a family of three to embody for Halloween.
Monsters
A set of family monster costumes can be borrowed from a movie or created with inspiration. If you decide to create something unique, let the children take the lead in the process. Trust me, the imagination of a child can outpace that of an adult!
Zombies
Making zombie costumes for the whole family is very easy. All you need is old, unwanted clothing, scissors, and red paint – and your fun zombie family is ready to join the celebration. You can enhance the look by wrapping bandages around yourselves, stained with paint or regular dust.
Frankenstein
Another very simple and budget-friendly costume to make is Frankenstein. You'll only need to spend money on paint, while old, no longer usable everyday clothing and shoes can be used. Applying makeup doesn't require any special skills. In fact, the more crooked the stitches and scars on the faces of parents and children, the more authentic the look will be.
Witch
Celebrating Halloween without seeing a single witchy family is nonsense. Make your family of three represent one of the main Halloween characters. Black robes can easily be sewn by hand, and a hat can be bought or crafted using felt, stiff wire, black fabric, and tulle for the veil.
Candies and Sweets
One of Halloween's traditions is to go door-to-door trick-or-treating for candies. So a family dressed as candies, pastries, and other "treats" is perfectly in the spirit of the holiday. To enhance the effect, you can add matching accessories to the costume.
Ghosts
The main characters of this holiday are ghosts and specters. Halloween wouldn't be the same without them, and the more, the merrier. So, without any doubt, become a ghostly family and go scare the neighbors. An added benefit of this choice is that the costumes are extremely easy to make. All you need are three things: a bedsheet, scissors, and a black marker, felt-tip pen, or paint.
Robots
A family of cute robots with cardboard heads will fit perfectly into the holiday theme, and their simplicity and affordability make them unbeatable in terms of costumes. You can even entrust making these costumes for the entire family to the children.
Space
A family of brave astronauts is just what you need to protect yourself from evil forces. When your faces are securely hidden by helmets, even close relatives won't recognize you unless you give them some sign.
Magicians
A family of hereditary magicians on Halloween will be invaluable because how else to deal with supernatural guests if not with magic?
Vampires
Eternal creatures of the night will fit the holiday perfectly. Everyday clothing can be made dark and blood-stained, and properly applied makeup will complete the vampire family's look.
Autumn Harvest
A family of three dressed as the main symbol of Halloween has every chance of becoming the center of attention at the celebration.
Ghost and Pumpkin
You can combine the two main symbols of Halloween into one costume and become the star of the holiday. A ghost with a pumpkin is an ideal Halloween costume. And a family of three ghosts with pumpkins is a real force!
Aladdin
The ever-optimistic character from the movie of the same name can defeat evil with his energy. Dress up as Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, and Genie, and surprise all your neighbors.
Bees
This charming costume for a family of three in the guise of hardworking bees will add positivity and a festive atmosphere.
Cowboys
And let the cowboy family costume have nothing to do with Halloween; it doesn't diminish the popularity of such outfits. Jeans, hats, cowboy boots, and lassos, and your cowboy family is ready!
Historical Costumes
Historical costumes are always in style and can be worn for any holiday.
Emergency Services
Any event with a large crowd should have medical personnel present. A family of three in professional medical costumes will undoubtedly attract everyone's attention.
A family portrait will be a great addition to the Halloween atmosphere.
A custom-themed portrait in costume can be an ideal and creative keepsake of the delightful Halloween celebration.
