wholesale christmas costumes

Once upon a time in our collective distant memory – or maybe just on TV, which is more or less the same thing – October meant apple cider, jack o’ lanterns, and small children in witch hats toting pillow cases full of candy. Now we know fall has arrived when temporary Halloween stores start popping up in every empty storefront in America – which, in these dismal times, means pretty much everywhere. Go into one of these stores and you will see costumes that can only be described as sexy (unless you prefer the more colloquial “skanky”): sexy nurse, sexy pirate, sexy vampire. On other, less fishnet-heavy rows, you’ll find prisoner costumes, superhero unitards, Freddy Krueger masks, and wigs. Lots and lots of wigs: hippy, Elvis, afro. A few years ago, you could even buy a Kate Gosselin wig.

Another way to know that Halloween is approaching: the newspapers (now that they’re all online, perhaps we should call them “newspapers”) will start running their adults-won’t-grow-up editorials. You know what I’m talking about. Halloween is for children. But now Halloween has become a [fill in the blank with a big number] dollar industry because adults are dressing up. And you know why adults are dressing up? Because they want to be children!

To this, I say, Pfft. Every year on one night in late October, I send my children away and throw an adults-only Halloween bash that some call the party of the year and others, on attending for the first time, tell me is the best party they’ve ever been to. You know why my party is the best? Because there’s no competition! In the darkest depths of suburbia, my Halloween party seems to be one of the few get-togethers that doesn’t involve Round Table pizza, sports trophies, or a Costco veggie tray. Months ahead of time, friends, neighbors, and… whoever else is on the guest list (which has frankly gotten a bit out of control) will ask me if I’ve set a date so they don’t schedule anything else. Sometime around August, people start finalizing costumes.

A friend once gave me sage party advice: As long as the food is good and the bathrooms are clean, nothing else really matters. The first time I threw my Halloween party, I – along with some friends armed with power tools – filled my yard with over twenty-five jack o ‘lanterns. Now I settle for two or three. (Have you ever tried disposing of twenty-five jack o’lanterns in a warm climate? Not pretty.) I’ve accumulated plenty of decorations over the years, but the real scenery is costumes. Queen Elizabeth. Andy Warhol. Kate Gosselin. Sexy pirate. Another sexy pirate. The food is always good. More to the point, the alcohol is plentiful. One time a cub scout leader dressed as Courtney Love stayed in character for the entire evening. Another year a baseball coach disguised as Richard Simmons led an exercise class. “Richard” felt embarrassed after the fact. “Courtney” did not.

 

The commercialization of Halloween in the United States did not start until the 20th century, beginning perhaps with Halloween postcards (featuring hundreds of designs) which were most popular between 1905 and 1915. Dennison Manufacturing Company, which published its first Hallowe’en catalog in 1909, and the Beistle Company were pioneers in commercially made Halloween decorations, particularly die-cut paper items. German manufacturers specialised in Halloween figurines that were exported to the United States in the period between the two world wars.

There is little primary documentation of masking or costuming on Halloween in the United States or elsewhere, before 1900. Mass-produced Halloween costumes did not appear in stores until the 1930s, and trick-or-treating did not become a fixture of the holiday until the 1950s.

In the 1990s, many manufacturers began producing a larger variety of Halloween yard decorations; before this a majority of decorations were homemade. Some of the most popular yard decorations are jack-o’-lanterns, scarecrows, witches, orange string lights, inflatable decorations (such as spiders, pumpkins, mummies and vampires), and animatronic window and door decorations.

Halloween is now the United States’ second most popular holiday (after Christmas) for decorating; the sale of candy and costumes are also extremely common during the holiday, which is marketed to children and adults alike. According to the National Retail Federation, the most popular Halloween costume themes for adults are, in order: witch, pirate, vampire, cat and clown. Each year, popular costumes are dictated by various current events and pop culture icons .On many college campuses, Halloween is a major celebration, with the Friday and Saturday nearest October 31 hosting many costume parties.

The National Confectioners Association reported in 2005 that 80 percent of American adults planned to give out candy to trick-or-treaters, and that 93 percent of children planned to go trick-or-treating.

The word comes from an abbreviation of “All Hallows Eve.” This is the night before All Hallows (All Saints) Day, when the Church honors the past (dead) Christians. All Saints Day is also known as the day Martin Luther nailed his protest of the Catholic Church and began the Protestant movement. There have been different dates for All Saints Day. It’s commonly believed that November 1st was chosen to coincide with pagan celebrations and festivals in order to more easily assimilate these cultures into the Church, just like the dates for Easter and Christmas celebrations. It’s this assimilation of festivals that makes Halloween a confusing holiday.

When All Saints Day and the pagan festivals were combined, the rituals and customs were also combined. Wearing costumes, ghosts, witches, carrying lighted ornaments to represent spirits, the whole trick-or-treat thing, harvest parties, etc. got combined over the centuries with what had been a somber event in the Christian calendar. Some of these rituals had been sacrifices to pagan gods before the pagans were Christianized. And there’s the rub! Christians, who have no problem with the Christmas Tree or Easter Egg (pagan rituals), seem to draw the line when it comes to the Halloween pagan rituals and customs…particularly those involving the dead.

Actually, All Saints Day and Halloween share the idea of honoring the dead…they just differ on the methods. Many of the pagan rituals include tributes to the dead. That’s probably why ghost costumes and tombstones have become Halloween classics. I don’t understand the discomfort many Christians have with the idea of spirits being everywhere, or of spiritual life beyond physical death…it’s the cornerstone of Christianity as taught in the Bible. Why would we be so frightened of what’s on the other side of death? Many are so afraid, they keep their children from participating in the fun of Halloween.

Once, early in my Christian walk, I believed it was a sin to have anything that had represented a belief in any power but God. I got rid of 4 leaf clovers, horseshoes, totem poles…symbols of pagan gods…so these things would have no power over me. After I grew a little in Christ and read the Bible a little more, It hit me…nothing has power over me because Christ is in me. In fact, by thinking these things had power, I was giving them the very power I opposed.

It’s the same with Christians and Halloween. Carving pumpkins, setting up witch statues, wearing ghost costumes, going to people’s doors to collect treats…all of these rituals are mere games as long as we don’t make anything more out of them. As a Christian, the most powerful being in all eternity lives within you. There is no power that can harm you. I’m not denying that evil spirits exist but when we Christians live in fear of them, we’re giving them power they don’t have.

 

The industry of e-commerce continues to generate countless of profits for more sellers and re-sellers who invest in it. Who would have thought that seasonal products are worth investing? After all, it is during the season of Thanksgiving to New Year that auction sites such as eBay get the most number of sales in a given year. Looking at Christmas, this is when most shoppers around the world buy countless gifts online. In fact, there is even an application now that allows people to come up with their PayPal wish list, Christmas gift lists and Holidays celebration supplies list.

With all the holiday celebrations preparations that everyone has to accomplish, the idea of buying their gifts and supplies online is becoming a top option for most people. Imagine they will not have to contend with the black Friday mob or the crowded malls and bazaars. With just one click of a their mouse at the comfort of their own homes, they can buy whatever they need without worrying for parking space.

If you look at last year’s trends, then you will be able to at least predict where the market is heading for holidays 2009. Observe what items were bestsellers from last year’s holidays then combine this list with the new releases from this year to spice up variety to the buyers’ options. The important thing about selling seasonal items is getting ahead of the competition. You have to be able to offer these items ahead or at least before any of the scheduled holidays.

Some items that sell hot like pancakes during the holidays are Christmas or Santa related items. This list includes Christmas decorations such as tree ornaments, wreaths, candles, gift tags, Christmas wrappers, stockings, candies and even Christmas themed kitchen items. Before Easter, try selling baskets, eggs, decorate your own easter eggs/basket kits, or accessories such as bunny headbands and rabbit costumes. For Fathers or Mothers Day, offer cards, flowers, chocolates or jewelry items with names. For Fourth of July, sell liberty plates, American flag buttons and historic memorabilia items. For Halloween, offer stickers, face paint for costumes, trick or treat accessories such as devil’s pitch fork, capes, pumpkin baskets, headbands, scary masks and many more. For Valentine’s Day, anything with a heart, anything red or anything themed with love, this is a long list of all possible items for sale, not to mention flowers, cards, chocolates and even jewelry items. Of course for New Year’s eve, make bottles of wine, firecrackers and desk, pocket, digital or wall calendars available.