| Halloween costumes are in big demand this year. | | | | 4. Mario |
| Many feel the down economy, which is blamed for a | | | | 5. Luigi |
| large number of families vacationing at home this | | | | 6. Where's Waldo |
| summer, has resulted in a boomerang effect where | | | | 7. Leprechaun |
| these same families are now going all out to | | | | 8. Midnight Vampire |
| celebrate Halloween. | | | | 9. Sesame Street The Count |
| Halloween, celebrated each year on October 31, has | | | | 10. Elvis White Outfit |
| its roots in the Christian All Saints' Day and the | | | | Girls: |
| Samhain, a Celtic festival. This Celtic "New Year" is a | | | | |
| celebration, and held at the end of the harvest | | | | 1. Vampiress |
| season. Ancient Celts believed on this date the dead | | | | 2. Dorothy |
| could interfere with the living, causing sickness and | | | | 3. Honey Bee |
| damaged crops. Costumes and masks were often | | | | 4. Pink Batgirl |
| used to mimic and appease the dead. Though | | | | 5. Purrity Kitty |
| originating in Ireland, Halloween is now celebrated in | | | | 6. Ladybug |
| the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, | | | | 7. Cheerleader Dead |
| the United Kingdom, Sweden, and others. Halloween | | | | 8. Scar Let |
| activities include trick-or-treating, decorating the inside | | | | 9. Vampira Goth |
| and outside of homes, dressing up in scary or funny | | | | 10. Fairy Midnight |
| costumes, bonfires, haunted houses, carving | | | | Boys: |
| pumpkins, and watching scary movies. | | | | |
| So, what are the hottest Halloween costumes this | | | | 1. Darth Vader |
| year? | | | | 2. Carver The Clown |
| According to the nation's largest Halloween retailer, | | | | 3. Mario Deluxe |
| the most popular costumes are as follows. | | | | 4. Wolverine Muscle |
| Female: | | | | 5. Luigi Deluxe |
| | | | 6. Fade In/Out Phantom |
| 1. Firelady | | | | 7. Clone Trooper |
| 2. Gretchen | | | | 8. Policeman |
| 3. Miss Wonderland | | | | 9. Zombie Skeleton |
| 4. Gypsy Princess | | | | 10. Batman |
| 5. Daisy Bee | | | | Where do you find these costumes? |
| 6. Batgirl | | | | Halloween "superstores" have increased in numbers, |
| 7. Shipmate | | | | first emerging in the U.S. in the early 1980s. These |
| 8. Vampire Queen | | | | stores are usually seasonal, though more and more |
| 9. Pochahottie | | | | stores are staying open year-round. Other |
| 10. In The Line Of Duty | | | | department and party stores also stock up for the |
| Male: | | | | holiday. Online sources of costumes, decor, and |
| | | | accessories are also readily available. |
| 1. Michael Jackson Thriller | | | | But you might want to act fast this year, because |
| 2. Wicked Of Oz | | | | retailers are already running low on the most popular |
| 3. Batman The Dark Knight | | | | Halloween costumes. |