Every Day Is Special: October 13

October 13 - Costume Swap Day

(Second Saturday in October)

Posted October 13, 2018

There may or may not be a cold snap in the air, but if you live in a place where pumpkin patches are springing up, bags of mini-sized chocolate bars are going on sale, and Halloween colors have taken over your party-goods shop, you're probably thinking about what to wear for trick-or-treating or for an upcoming Halloween party.

And the thing is, there are all sorts of people out there who are doing the same thing. Almost nobody wants to wear last year's costume (and some have outgrown it). What would be brilliant would be to swap entire costumes or at least bits of costumes - like, just a wand and a cape that will fit multiple sizes - so everyone can have a new costume.

Depending on how you wear it, a cape and a wand
can be part of a costume for a traditional magician,
a wizard, a specific character from the Harry Potter
universe, a witch, even a queen or king.

Add a scarf, a lightning-bolt temporary tattoo, and
glasses for Harry Potter (and lose the pointy cap).

Switch the pointy cap for a top hat and add white
gloves for a traditional magician costume.

Use the blue side of the cape, and add a crown
and a spray-painted tennis ball on the top
of the wand to become your royal highness.

Use the star side of the cape, and add a witch's hat,
a broom, and maybe a wand-topper in the shape
of a crescent moon or a star, for a simple witch costume.

Once you make the swap, use the hashtag #NationalCostumeSwapDay to post on social media.

The idea behind this holiday is to save the environment by reusing costumes and masks and hats and accessories. If we swap, we buy less AND we throw less away. It's two parts of the 3-Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle).

Of course, families and friends can swap costumes easily and privately, but schools, churches, and entire communities can put on Costume Swap events where everyone who brings a clean costume in reasonable condition gets a ticket good for another costume.

Happy swapping!!