Fancy Dress Costumes

Well we have been offering quality fancy dress choices for over 10 years and so you would hope that we have a little bit of knowledge to pass on to you by now como funciona 1xbet!

Fancy dress outfits have been popular since the 18th century although these parties were more revolved around Masquerade Balls and hiding your identity which are still going strong to this day. Victorians were the pioneers of the fancy dress party and to a degree it was extended by the Edwardians who developed the concept into loosely how we see it today.

In this day and age we reflect on decades, TV shows & films for the majority of our fancy dress ideas, who hasn't been invited to a 60s & 70s party?! The decades that are most popular at present are clearly 60s & 70s, the 80s has seen a huge rise in licensed TV & Film costumes and as time progresses im sure there will be costumes that become mainstream that were based in the 90s & Noughties!

Licensed Costumes or Unlicensed?

There are not many iconic TV shows or Films that do not have a costume license these days. The 2 companies that pioneer the licenses for us in the UK are Rubies (the worlds largest costume manufacturer) and Smiffys who have produced more and more licensed costumes as time has gone by. When you buy a licensed costume you know that it is a true reflection of the TV show or Film that it is reflecting, it has been approved by the owners of the brand and also endorsed by them. Along with this accuracy and attention to detail there is usually a higher price associated with these items, the sale prices become very competitive as these are the most recognised costumes available, and when it comes to fancy dress, you want people to know who or what you are! This is one reason why we have our price promise, we check everyday that our prices are the best available however with 1000's of companies to choose from we feel that our service and hand picked range along with this promise is enough for you to want us!

Unlicensed fancy dress costumes are not illegal costumes! They are simply costumes that are of a generic nature, Pirate Costumes are a good example of this, you can have a licensed 'Jack Sparrow Costume' but we also offer a huge range of pirate costumes with no brand name, these fancy dress costumes will still make you look fantastic at any party but are not associated with a specific person and are often cheaper to buy 1xbet en espanol.

Halloween Costumes

The History of Halloween

Halloween is one of the worlds oldest holidays and is still celebrated in many areas around the world and where it is celebrated the traditions and importance of the celebration vary significantly. However Halloween in the 20^th century is very different to the Halloween celebrated in bygone years,  with most festivals the traditions celebrated have changed and evolved throughout the years so modern day Halloween is about kids trick or treating all dressed in their Halloween costumes to get as much chocolate and sweeties as they can possibly carry, carving pumpkins and adults having the scariest parties they can manage to create all aimed at just having fun, but what was real meaning and history of Halloween?

Origins of the name Halloween

The name 'Halloween' actually has it's origins in the Catholic Church, originally spelt  Hallowe'en it is a variant of 'All Hallows Even', which means the day before All Hallows Day which (more commonly known as All Saints Day), a catholic holiday commemorating saints and martyrs, observed since the Middle Ages on 1^st November.

Origins of Halloween

It is thought that origins of Halloween date back to the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain  (pronounced sah-win or sow-een) which literally translates into-end of Summer.   The Celts celebrated Sahwain on November the 1^st as their new year, marking the end of summer,  harvest and the start of winter, which was a time to take stock of supplies and prepare for  winter and a time for reflection.   It is thought that the Celts associated this season with death and believed that on the 31^st October the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead were distorted, and ghosts of the dead could return to earth and cause mayhem, sickness and damage to the community's crops.  During this night the Celts would light bonfires built by Druids (Celtic Priests) to burn crops and animal sacrifices to the Celtic Gods, whilst dressed in costumes made of animal skins and heads.

Then over the years the Christian influences spread into the Celtic lands it is thought that around the year 800, Pope Boniface IV designated November the 1^st to be called All Saints Day in an attempt to replace the Celetic festival of the dead with an official church sanctioned holiday. Then the night before All Saints Day became known as All Hallows Eve and then Halloween.  Then in the year 1000 the church declared November the 2^nd to be All Souls Day when the dead were to be honoured.  The holiday was celebrated with bonfires, costumes, and parades much like Samhain, and together the 3 celebrations became known as Hallowmas.

The Christian influence spread into the Celtic lands by the year 800. About this time, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 as All Saint's Day as a time to honor saints and martyrs. Current belief is that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also referred to as All-hallows or All-Hallowmas, which was Middle English for All Saints' Day. Eventually, the night before it began to be called All-hallows Eve and then Halloween. In the year 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day to honor the dead. The holiday was celebrated similarly to Samhain with bonfires, parades and costumes such as angels, saints and devils. Together, the three celebrations became known as Hallowmas.

Carving Pumpkins

The items associated with Halloween that we see today such as pumpkins etc, have also developed over the years with many people not knowing the original meaning behind such things. 

Carving pumpkins with scary faces for example it is thought originated from the Celts carving turnips for their Halloween gatherings. There is a story in Irish folklore of Jack, a lazy,drunk, shifty yet shrewd farmer who tricked the Devil, when he died he had been too sinful to go to heaven but the Devil didn't want him in hell either, so when he asked how he was to see his way the devil mockingly threw him an ember from hell which would never burn out, so he carved out a turnip and carried it round as he endlessly wandered the world looking for a resting place.  He became known as Jack of the Lantern or Jack o Lantern.  When the Irish then settled in America the pumpkin was found to be far better then turnips for carving and so the carved pumpkin became widely recognised as a Halloween symbol, often found on peoples tables or outside their doors on Halloween.

Halloween Superstitions

There are many superstitions, folklores and legends surrounding Halloween that have been passed down in some form throughout the years.  Some tell of witches and how to meet a witch if need one- you must turn your clothes inside out and walk backwards on Halloween night and at midnight a witch would appear! Many Halloween superstitions are about love, often mirrored in the games that were played, there were many superstitions when played out correctly the image of a young girls husband to be would appear but if the image of a skull appeared you would die before marriage!  Babies born on Halloween are said to be able to see and talk to ghosts and have life long protection against evil spirits.   There are superstitions surrounding animals with black cats being seen as bad luck and it is said that on Halloween night  owls fly down to eat the souls of the dead.  It is no wonder there are many ghost stories and eerie goings on at Halloween if all of these are to be believed!

So to make your Halloween party really go with a bang create your own ghost stories making them as scary and creepy as you can, many people these days like to visit haunted buildings or go on ghost walks to really scare themselves silly!  Whatever you decide to do, be sure not to squash a spider on Halloween night as they are thought to harbour the spirit of a dead ancestor watching over you!!

Date of Halloween

Halloween always falls on the 31^st October every year, if you need to know the exact day that Halloween falls on then please see below as we have listed Halloween dates from 2009-2015. 

Halloween 2009 - Saturday 31^st October

Halloween 2010 - Sunday 31^st October

Halloween 2011 - Monday 31^st October

Halloween 2012 - Wednesday 31^st October

Halloween 2013 - Thursday 31^st October

Halloween 2014 - Friday 31^st October

Halloween 2015 - Saturday 31^st October

So now you've know excuse to get thinking about those Halloween ideas in plenty of time!!

Trick or Treating

Party On? Limited was born in 1998, a small local business serving the community with party goods as well as fancy dress costumes and accessories. We have grown the business over time to accomodate new lines and different services. In 2001 we became a limited company and also took over a second store to develop the fancy dress offering into a larger space. Again times grew and we needed more space for our flagship store and also room to house the stock needed to have such a large web system. In 2006 we made the move to our largest store to date in Taunton, totalling nearly 6000sq ft we now offer around 7000 hand picked quality choices in fancy dress and fancy dress accessories. Some companies offer a larger range - 10,000 items or more, but we pick our range on experience and on the quality of the fancy dress so we can guarantee you will be happy with your choices http://www.deportivasapuestaschile.cl/1xbet-chile.

Halloween Trick or treating is a custom for children throughout many of the countries that celebrate Halloween.  Groups of children go out together dressed in their Halloween costumes, some choose to wear costumes that have been bought and some prefer homemade Halloween costumes and even Halloween masks, they go around the local neighbourhood  after dark knocking on doors with their trick or treat bags, when someone opens the door the children call out "Trick or Treat" with the idea being that the house owner gives the children some Halloween treats, usually sweets or chocolate, or in some cultures they give money.  If the house owner declines to give anything then comes the trick, where the children will be mischievous towards the house owner or their property!!  So if your door knocks on Halloween night make the decision of treat or trick before opening the door!!

If your children are going out trick or treating this Halloween then please follow the trick or treating safety tips and precautions below, to ensure everyone has a fun filled evening.

Trick or Treating Tips for Kids

• Always trick or treat in groups that are accompanied by at least one adult.
• Be sure to plan your trick or treating route ahead of Halloween night.
• Make sure the route is close to home and only around familiar areas.
• Give your children a torch to carry if going out after dark.
• Make sure costumes fit properly so there is no risk of tripping over.
• Use face paints instead of masks on young children.
• Stay together on the pavements and do not walk along the roads.
• Walk, do not run.
• Respect peoples property and stick to the paths, do not walk on gardens etc.
• Only visit houses that are lit, do not go to dark houses or houses that specify 'No trick or treating'.
• Do not enter any houses.
• Do not approach any unfamiliar pets.
• Always remember your manners and say 'thankyou'.
• Don't eat any sweets that have loose wrappings, have been unwrapped or tampered with.
• Always show an adult what you have been given to check it is suitable.
• Small children should not be given hard sweets as they may choke.

These are some basic safety tips for trick or treating to keep your little ghosts and ghouls safe this Halloween, but most importantly don't forget to have fun!!

60s Fancy Dress

The swinging 60s, still one of the most popular themes for a fancy dress party. 60s fancy dress is colourful, often floral and is regarded mostly as the Hippy era! It was the time for drink, drugs and Rock 'n' Roll and some amazing costumes. You can browse our range of 60s fancy dress costumes for men or 60s fancy dress for women or even just the 60s wigs and 60s accessories.

70s Fancy Dress