Halloween is a fun holiday that is celebrated every year on October 31st. People dress up in costumes, go trick-or-treating, attend parties, decorate their homes, and more. When it comes to Halloween colors, the traditional ones that come to mind are orange and black. However, green is also a popular Halloween color that has become more prominent over the years. In this article, we’ll take a look at whether green can be considered a Halloween color.
The History of Green and Halloween
The history of Halloween goes back over 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. During this harvest festival, the Celts wore costumes to ward off ghosts and lit bonfires to commemorate the end of the harvest season. Their costumes were dark and muted earth tones like brown, black, and grey. Bright colors like green were not commonly associated with early Halloween traditions.
Over time, as Halloween was introduced to America in the 1800s and early 1900s, the holiday adopted orange and black as the main symbolic colors. Orange represented the fall harvest, jack-o-lanterns, and the autumn leaves. Black symbolized darkness, shadows, and nighttime. Green was still not widely linked to Halloween during this time period.
It wasn’t until the 1950s and 1960s that green became more prominent in Halloween decorations and costumes. With the rise of pop culture icons like Frankenstein’s monster, the Wicked Witch, aliens, and more, brighter shades like lime green, olive green, and neon green started emerging. The green-skinned Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz in particular helped solidify green as a festive Halloween color.
Why Green Works for Halloween
There are a few key reasons why green has become a popular Halloween color choice:
- It represents monsters, creatures, and the supernatural – Green skin tones are commonly associated with fictional monsters and aliens like Frankenstein, zombies, werewolves, and little green men/aliens. Green helps emphasize the supernatural theme of Halloween.
- It contrasts well against orange and black – Green pops against the traditional Halloween backdrop of orange and black decor. The contrast creates an eye-catching display.
- It symbolizes the natural world – With Halloween taking place in autumn, green represents the earth, trees, plants and the last bits of foliage still hanging on in October.
- It feels festive – Bright green has a fun, cheerful vibe similar to the festive colors used at other holidays like Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, etc. Green helps lighten the mood compared to darker shades.
Popular Green Halloween Elements
Here are some of the most common ways green is incorporated into Halloween celebrations and traditions:
- Costumes – Green costumes are a Halloween staple. Some popular green costumes include witch, alien, zombie, dinosaur, frog, lizard, dragon, and more.
- Decorations – From wreaths to lights to tablecloths, green decor gives a Halloween display a stylish, natural look. Light greens work well with orange accent colors.
- Candy – Green candy and candy wrappers have become more common. Some green candies given out on Halloween include green apple Jolly Ranchers, green M&Ms, gummy frogs, sour green apple candy, etc.
- Pumpkins – Green pumpkins offer a unique alternative to the traditional orange. They are sometimes painted green or created naturally through being unripe or through varieties like Ghost pumpkins.
- Beverages – Green cocktails, punches, and shots are staples at many Halloween parties for adults. Green drinks match the creepy Halloween aesthetic.
- Desserts/Treats – Various Halloween baked goods and other treats incorporate green through ingredients like green sprinkles, matcha powder, mint, pistachio, etc.
Green Halloween Decorations
Decorating with green for Halloween can give your home a delightfully spooky look. Here are some ways to add green décor for Halloween:
- Reusable green wreaths for the front door made with fall greenery and accents like black flowers or spiders
- Green string lights around trees, fences, the house, etc. for an eerie ambient glow
- Tablecloths, napkins, plates in various green hues like sage green, soft mint, olive green, etc. for Halloween dinner parties
- Green floral arrangements with dark blooms and mossy accents in vases around the home
- Outdoor green lanterns containing flameless candles on the front porch steps
- Spooky silhouettes like ghosts, trees, and shadows on windows in green window gel
- A green pathway up to the front door made of moss or green carpet runner
- Fake green vines tangled around railings, furniture, and other areas
- Green candles that give off an eerie vibe – stacked in candleholders or carved into jack-o-lanterns
- Hanging green glass globe lights through trees and above outdoor seating areas
You can go for bright lime green accents or deeper forest greens depending on the vibe you want. Mixing different shades of green can make for a dynamic, textured Halloween look.
Green Halloween Makeup
Halloween makeup isn’t just for faces – you can paint your whole body green! Some ways people incorporate green into their Halloween makeup looks include:
- Wicked witch – Paint your face and hands green like the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. Add a pointed hat and black clothes.
- Frankenstein’s monster – Paint your neck, face, and bolts on the neck green to achieve Frankenstein’s signature look.
- Little green alien – Cover all visible skin in green with darker green accents around the eyes and mouth.
- Zombie – Use green makeup on parts of the face and body for an undead, decomposing look. Mix with blood and blacks.
- Poison Ivy – Make leaves and vines on the face and limbs with green makeup for a plant-inspired costume.
- Mermaid – Get creative painting green scales and seaweed on the face, arms, and legs.
- Leprechaun – Pair green face makeup with a red beard and hat.
Set green makeup with translucent powder so it lasts all night without smudging. Green face paint, eye shadows, lip colors, and nail polish all work for Halloween costumes.
Green Halloween Costume Ideas
Looking for a green costume for Halloween? Here are some creative green costume ideas:
For women:
- Goddess – Flowing green dress, gold accents, laurels in hair
- Dragon – Green sequined dress, wings, tail, scales on face
- Fighter pilot – Olive green flight suit, aviator hat, patches
- Alien – Green bodysuit, black accents, antennae headband
- Mermaid – Green sequined skirt, seashell bra, colorful wig
- Peacock – Blue and green feather dress, peacock feathers in hair
- Grape vine – Green leotard and tights covered in purple balloons as grapes
For men:
- Peter Pan – Green tunic, brown pants, pointed green hat
- Aladdin – Open green vest, puffy pants, gold accents
- Frog prince – Green bodysuit, gold crown, frog hat
- Archer – Green hood, tunic, hat, tights, and boots
- The Hulk – Ripped purple shorts, green paint on muscles
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle – Green bodysuit, shell, masks, pads
- The Riddler – Green suit covered in black question marks
Look for rich emerald, lime, sage, and other green fabrics so the color pops. Accessorize with wigs, wings, makeup, weapons, and props.
Green Halloween Cocktails
Sip on some spooky green cocktails at your Halloween party! Here are some festively colored green cocktail ideas:
Midori Magic Punch
- 2 cups lemon-lime soda
- 2 cups ginger ale
- 1 cup Midori melon liqueur
- 1 cup vodka
- Gummy worms for garnish
Green Witch Cocktail
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz green chartreuse
- 1 oz lime juice
- Sprig of mint
Green Goblin
- 1 oz rum
- 1/2 oz melon liqueur
- 1/2 oz blue curacao
- 1 oz lime juice
- Lime wedge
Green Ghoul
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 oz green apple schnapps
- Splash lemon lime soda
- Lime wedge
Green Monster Martini
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz green chartreuse
- Splash lemon juice
- Lemon peel
Garnish drinks with wedges, sprinkles, gummy eyeballs – anything spooky and green!
Creative Green Halloween Treats
Incorporate green into homemade Halloween goodies like these:
- Ghostly key lime pie – with light green filling
- Green velvet cupcakes – with witch hat toppers
- Green apple candy apples
- Green chocolate popcorn balls
- Rice Krispie monsters – decorated with green icing
- Green gummi worm dirt pudding cups
- Spooky lime green Jell-O shots
- Neon green candy bark with white chocolate
Use coloring, extracts, juice, spices, and green decorations to give treats some Halloween flair. Serve green baked goods at your Halloween party for a fun surprise.
Conclusion
While orange and black remain the quintessential Halloween colors, green has certainly become a popular choice and can now be considered a Halloween color. With its associations with monsters and nature, green works wonderfully for creating creepy, fun Halloween displays, makeup, costumes, cuisine, and more. Incorporating shades like lime, mint, olive and more can give your Halloween celebrations a uniquely stylish and eye-catching twist.
So don’t be afraid to think outside the black and orange box. Go green for Halloween this year!
