About Halloween Masks
From goblins, werewolves and skeletons to Marilyn Monroe, Barack Obama and Homer Simpson, Halloween masks run the gamut of scary, funny and silly to downright disgusting. The tradition of donning masks on the last night of October and going door to door for treats can be traced back to ancient times. Today, Halloween masks are bought and homemade by the hundreds of millions, their varieties limited only by our imagination.
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Types
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Each year, millions of Halloween masks are sold, and the varieties are seemingly endless. Frightful masks such as ghosts, goblins, Frankenstein's monster, vampires, devils and other hideous creatures are popular. But not all Halloween masks are scary. Celebrity masks are common, including current and former presidents, actors and actresses, and characters from fairy tales, cartoons, movies and television. Infamous headline makers like O.J. Simpson, Phil Spector, Michael Vick and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are available, according to About.com. Space aliens, clowns, robots, superheroes and villains all wander the streets on Halloween. Recent trends in masks include moving parts, sound and flashing lights.
Materials
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Many people buy their masks at Halloween stores or online, while some are made at home from a variety of materials such as paper mache, cardboard or even milk jugs. Manufactured masks can be made from plastic, vinyl or latex; some cover only the face attached by an elastic string around the head, while others cover the head completely. A company in California called SPFX Masks creates silicone masks that are designed to conform to your face so they look and move like actual flesh and muscle.
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Cost
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The costs of Halloween masks vary by style, material and features. Simple plastic or vinyl masks that cover only the face generally cost from $5 to $20. More elaborate masks such as the ones that cover the whole head may run you from $25 to $50. Masks that have moving parts, sound, lights or other special effects or intricate details can cost over a hundred dollars or more. And the silicone masks sold on the SPFX website cost from $589 to $789.
Sales
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According to MSN Money, Halloween masks, costumes and decorations are a $7 billion a year business. Halloween is second only to Christmas in the amount of consumer dollars spent. Mega stores such as Wal-Mart and Target are common destinations for Halloween shoppers, but so are smaller specialty shops like Factory Card & Party Outlet, Hancock Fabrics and Michaels stores. There are also Halloween stores that rent mall locations in the weeks leading up to the holiday and are gone soon after. Shopping online for Halloween masks is also popular on sites such as Amazon.com and Buycostumes.com.
Popular Culture
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Masks have made notable appearances in American pop culture. Movie murderers such as Michael Myers of the "Halloween" franchise, Jason from "Friday the 13th" and the killer from "Scream" all appeared in masks that have since become popular to wear on Halloween night. The nine-member heavy metal band "Slipknot" is renowned for wearing frightening masks on stage and during public appearances. According to UltimateGuitar.com, they decided to wear the masks so that people would focus their attention on the music rather than what the band members look like. And in the 1991 movie "Point Break" starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, a group of bank robbers wore masks of ex-Presidents Reagan, Carter, Johnson and Nixon while committing their crimes.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit www.morguefile.com, www.flickr.com, www.spfxmasks.com,
