Okay, so I know that it is a little bit last minute to be discussing Halloween costumes. I also know that as many of us as there are that already have our kids’ costumes in hand, there are still plenty of us that are looking for a great last-minute idea because the kids have either not decided what they want to dress up as yet or have decided that the costume that they had you buy a while ago is not what they want to wear this coming Sunday. Perhaps you have just been invited to a Halloween party and are trying to think of an interesting costume that you can pull together quickly.
Since this IS the genealogy blog, you can probably guess what I am about to say next. You can look to your family tree for inspiration and dress your kids or yourselves as your ancestors. No matter who you are, there are generations of people in your family tree that came from diverse places and held diverse occupations. Dressing up as your ancestors is a great way to honor their memory and show that you are proud of your heritage.
A few specific ideas for genealogically inspired Halloween costumes have come to my mind. If you want to be trendy, Colonial costumes are popular right now, perhaps because of the Tea Party movement. Don a powdered wig and three-cornered hat, and don’t forget to pull your long white socks up over your black pants. Depending upon your family tree, you could dress as Pilgrims, Pharaohs, farmers, miners, soldiers, fishermen, or many others of interest. If you are dressing your children as people from your family tree, this is a great opportunity to teach them about those ancestors. They will proudly share their stories with their friends, such as how their great, great grandfather was a war hero or how your family can trace your roots back to the Mayflower. If you are either really short on time or really short on ideas, you can always run to the linen closet, pull out an old white sheet, cut some eye holes, and toss it over your head. Voila! You have instantly transformed yourself or your child into the ghost of any ancestor you choose.