By S.K. Bacon
The Most Popular Halloween Costumes of the 2010s — S.K. Bacon
Dressing up for Halloween has been a tradition for 2,000 years, beginning with the Celts in modern-day Ireland. The Celts used the costumes to “protect themselves” from the ghosts they believed would come to our world every October 31. But as time went on, people stopped believing in ghosts and used the costumes as a fun way to celebrate the spooky season and express themselves. This article will discuss the most popular Halloween costumes from the past decade.
2010: Lady Gaga and Buzz Lightyear
After Lady Gaga released an album in 2009 and 2011, many people put on their poker faces in October 2010. Others went to infinity and beyond and dressed as Toy Story’s famous astronaut toy!
2011: Angry Birds or Scream
The mobile game Angry Birds was released in December 2009, and the bright and lively characters made for an adorable group costume! In contrast, many people went solo as the infamous Mr. Ghostface from the Scream movie franchise.
2012: The Avengers
The Avengers is a superhero team made up of Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor; and thanks to the release of the first Avengers film on May 4, 2012, the following October 31 was swarming with superheroes ready to fight aliens — or get some candy.
2013: Miley Cyrus and Minions
Thanks to the release of a new album of hers in 2013, most Americans came in like a wrecking ball dressed as Miley herself in October 2013. Others went another route and returned the adorable yellow minions from Despicable Me (2010), which made for a hilarious group costume!
2014: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Pirates
2014 was a year for heroes and fighters — whether human swashbucklers (a forever popular option) or the iconic Nickelodeon “heroes in a half-shell”! The TV show released in 2014 made Mikey, Donnie, Leo and Ralph an adorable group costume!
2015-2016: Harley Quinn and The Joker
The infamous DC supervillains took over not just Gotham City but Halloween for two years! Thanks to the release of the first film in DC’s “Suicide Squad” series in 2016, the DC Universe experienced a new blow-up as people fell back in love with their characters, even crazed lunatics like Harley Quinn.
2017: Pennywise and Stranger Things characters
The release of two of the most famous thriller/horror series — Stranger Things Season 1 in July 2016 and It: Chapter One in September 2017 — created quite a stir in the spooky season of 2017. Many people dressed up as the famous Pennywise the Clown or got a group of friends together to be the kids from Stranger Things.
2018: Unicorns and Dinosaurs
2018 went back to the basics, as people decided to dress up as unicorns and dinosaurs. The release of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in June 2018 also popularized this second costume choice. I’m sure all the different dinos would have us all in raptor!
2019: Fortnite characters and Spider-Man
There were plenty of neighborhood Spidermen in 2019, with the release of Spiderman: Far From Home popularizing the decision to suit up like Tom Holland. But Spidey wasn’t the only hero out in the streets that October; plenty of people dressed up as Fortnite characters were out and about. Let’s hope they remembered to floss after all that candy.
2020: Witches and Dinosaurs
With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing in October 2020, people decided to return to the basics, with witches being the most popular costume idea that year. The close runner-up was dinos yet again — I’m assuming that’s because of the inflatable dino trend that blew up on TikTok.
Well, here’s the rundown of the most popular Halloween costumes of the 2010s. Whatever spooky or silly character or thing you choose to dress up in this spooky season, make sure your outfit is comfortable, appropriate, and — most importantly — fun! Have a happy Halloween!
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