Halloween is not just a kids holiday anymore. Over the last 30-40 years, it has become more and more popular, with adults getting into the spirit as well as children. And of all the Halloween traditions, costumes are the biggest one for all ages.

Even though it is more fun for parents than their children, most people start dressing up for Halloween as babies.

There are almost unlimited ideas for kids costumes, but the most popular from one year to another are the licensed characters from their favorite movies and TV shows. And usually the most popular is any character from the past summer’s biggest hit movies.

Cartoon characters, though, are not the only popular choices. Younger children love classic costumes like aliens, ghosts, pirates, and witches. Older kids will want to disturb their parents more with gory costumes that sport scars, fake wounds, and lots of blood.

There is also a great variety of Halloween costumes for adults. You can choose from classics or popular licensed character costumes.

Many Halloween costume parties follow some sort of theme that requires that all the guests wear similar or somehow matching costumes.

Historical costume like Renaissance or Medieval outfits are also popular with grown ups. Or “decade” costumes – flappers from the Roaring 20′s or a 40′s zoot suit.

One difference between kids costumes and adults is that adults often put together their own outfit, with more attention to the details. Kids are perfectly happy with a costume that you bought in the local drug store.

Adult costume can get quite detailed – something that would be right at home on a movie set. Costume makeup and high quality masks and clothing are quite common.

Since arranging all the details of a costume can be a daunting task financially, it would be wise to contact a store that rents costumes. If you choose to rent, you might be able to save money and use a new costume each year.