Halloween Glossary: ​​Spooky Terms Explained Simply

Halloween fascinates you because you love ghosts, monsters, witches, and dark aesthetics—or because you simply want to know what Halloween is really about. In this glossary entry from Easure's perspective, you'll delve deep into history, symbols, rituals, films, and style, and learn how you can incorporate Halloween into your own Gothic everyday life.

What exactly is Halloween?

Halloween refers to the evening of October 31st, the day before All Saints' Day. The name derives from "All Hallows' Eve," meaning the "evening before All Saints' Day." Today, Halloween is considered in many countries to be a night of ghosts , vampires , zombies , witches , and all sorts of monsters , when children shout "trick or treat" and adults binge-watch horror movies or dress up in elaborate costumes.

Key elements of Halloween:

  • Date: October 31
  • Mood: Transition, darkness, contact with the dead and spirits
  • Typical symbols: pumpkins, bats, spider webs, skulls, black cats
  • Activities: Trick-or-treating, parties, horror movies, rituals, decoration

For Easure, Halloween is more than just a party night. The evening perfectly reflects the lifestyle of the Gothic community: a conscious exploration of transience, shadows, and a fascination with the uncanny. That's why our Halloween collection features clothing and accessories with Halloween motifs that you can wear for much longer than just one night.

Origin of Halloween: From Samhain to All Hallows' Eve

Celtic roots: Samhain

Long before plastic masks and artificial pumpkins existed, there was the Celtic festival of Samhain . It marked the end of summer and the beginning of the dark season. According to Celtic belief, on this night the boundary between the world of the living and the dead dissolved.

Typical Samhain traditions:

  • The souls of the deceased visit their families.
  • Ghosts and other beings roam the night.
  • Fire, lights, and offerings protect against malevolent forces.

Many modern Halloween customs can be traced back to Samhain: lighting lights, dressing up, playing with death and return.

If you are interested in the spiritual and occult side, take a look at our glossary on occultism or the Occult & Ritual Decor collection, which translates this atmosphere into Dark Art.

Christianization: All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day

With Christianization, the pagan Samhain merged with church holidays:

    1. November: All Saints' Day – Commemoration of all saints
    1. November: All Souls' Day – Remembrance of the deceased

The eve of All Saints' Day, All Hallows' Eve , linguistically evolved into "Halloween." Old customs survived behind a new facade: candles for the dead, prayers, gifts – and later, spooky games with ghosts and demons.

It is precisely this mixture of pagan and Christian elements that makes Halloween so appealing to the Gothic scene: Between cemetery, church and underworld, a space is created in which you can play with symbols without being bound to any particular faith.

The true meaning of Halloween: Between death, protection, and fun

There's more to Halloween than decorations and candy. Three layers overlap:

Ritual of Transition
Halloween marks the transition from light to darkness. The cycle of life, decay, and possible rebirth is central. This aligns strongly with Gothic motifs such as skeletons, Baphomet symbols, or dark angels, which you can find, for example, in our "The Demon Angel" shirt.

Protection and masking
Disguises originally served a protective function: you assumed a different form to confuse spirits. Today, you also use them to embody aspects of your own personality – your love of horror, witches, vampires, or occult rituals .

Community and Rebellion
Children go out together, adults celebrate with parties. At the same time, Halloween represents a small "festival of subcultures": dark aesthetics, horror films, Dracula , Nosferatu , zombies , bats and alternative outfits penetrate deep into the mainstream.
Easure stands on the side of those who use this night to distance themselves from fascist and narrow-minded norms and to celebrate their own individuality.

Halloween in Germany: From import to a fixed date

How Halloween came to Germany

Although Halloween has Celtic roots in Europe, the modern custom spread via the USA. Irish immigrants brought their traditions with them in the 19th century. Since the 1990s, Halloween has become increasingly popular in Germany through films, media, and commerce.

Today, Halloween in Germany includes:

  • carved pumpkins on windows and doors
  • Children in costumes with "trick or treat"
  • Clubs with a horror theme
  • Horror movie nights at home
  • Gothic and metal parties with a dress code

If you want to make a statement at a party, our Gothic shirts , such as the Dracula shirt or the Nosferatu shirt , will inspire you. They convey Halloween vibes without looking cheap.

Halloween and German customs

Germany has long had its own traditions surrounding death and lights:

  • All Saints' Day / All Souls' Day with visits to cemeteries
  • regional lighting customs with turnip lanterns
  • Legends about night creatures, revenants, and the "Wild Hunt"

Halloween is thus meeting with open ground: You are supplementing existing rituals with horror pop culture and Gothic style.

Halloween symbols at a glance

Halloween Pumpkin: Jack O'Lantern

The carved Halloween pumpkin, often with a wickedly grinning face, is one of the most recognizable symbols. Originally, turnip lanterns were used in Ireland; in the USA, pumpkins replaced the turnips.

Typical meanings:

  • Light for wandering souls
  • Protection from evil spirits
  • Signs that someone is celebrating Halloween here

For your own aesthetic, this means: A pumpkin on the windowsill, combined with dark art posters or aluminum pictures with dark motifs , instantly transforms your apartment into a small Samhain zone.

Bats, ghosts, zombies and other monsters

The classic horror menagerie appears for Halloween:

  • Vampires and bats
  • Zombies and other undead
  • Monsters like Frankenstein, werewolves, demons
  • floating ghosts , skeletons, "grim reaper"

Many of these beings carry strong symbolism: fear of losing control, fascination with death, rebellious breaking with norms. In our wiki article Horror Glossary, you can learn more about the undead, splatter films, and slasher movies. For fans of bloodsuckers, the Vampire Glossary is worth checking out, featuring names like Dracula , Nosferatu , Vlad Dracul, and Count Orlok.

Witches, rituals and occultism

Witches symbolize the following at Halloween:

  • Female and queer power figures beyond the norm
  • Forbidden knowledge, magic, and self-determination
  • A connection between nature worship, night, and spirituality

If you're fascinated by witch aesthetics, take a look at our Witchcraft collection or the Occult Fashion collection. Symbols like the pentagram , Baphomet, or Tarot are firmly established there and are perfect as a basis for a Halloween outfit.

Halloween customs: Trick or treat and more

"Trick or treat": Trick-or-treat

When children ring doorbells and shout "Trick or treat!" on Halloween, they are reviving an old custom: people used to go from house to house singing and praying, receiving cakes or gifts in return for prayers on behalf of departed souls. These "soul cakes" evolved into the modern trick-or-treat.

Typical today:

  • Children dress up as ghosts, witches, vampires, and zombies.
  • They ring the doorbell, demand sweets, and playfully threaten small pranks.
  • Homeowners show they are celebrating Halloween with decorations and a pumpkin in the window.

Small decorative details such as Gothic pins in the shape of ghosts or bats, e.g. the “Paranormal investigator” pin or “Grab a ghost” , are suitable for creating a cohesive look.

Rituals and games on Halloween night

Besides sweets, many people retreat into their own rituals. Examples:

  • Tarot readings and oracles
  • small memorial rituals for the deceased
  • Fumigation for cleansing rooms
  • Horror movie marathons with Halloween films , such as "Halloween", "Evil Dead", "Nosferatu" or modern anthology films.

In our film reviews section, you'll find reviews of classic horror films, including "Dracula," "Nosferatu," "Frankenstein," and "Evil Dead." For many Goths, these films form the soundtrack and visual world of their personal Halloween traditions.

Halloween movies: From Dracula to slasher series

Classical figures: Dracula, Nosferatu, Frankenstein

Iconic films shape how you imagine Halloween:

  • Dracula – aristocratic vampire, bat-like figure, bloodlust and seductive darkness
  • Nosferatu – the pale bloodsucker with sharp teeth, one of the original figures of cinematic horror.
  • Frankenstein – the monster as a mirror of human hubris and fear of the unknown

These characters appear not only in the movies, but also on shirts, rings, and patches. At Easure, for example, you can find the Dracula shirt and the Nosferatu shirt , which are perfect for a minimalist yet expressive Halloween look.

Modern Halloween films and slashers

Besides classics, other series are establishing themselves as regular Halloween companions:

  • the “Halloween” film series with Michael Myers
  • modern slasher and splatter films
  • Anthology films that combine several stories into one Halloween night

In our blog section Horror Film Reviews, Easure analyzes precisely these works – focusing on why they are relevant for Gothic fans, what visual language they use, and which motifs can be transferred to clothes, jewelry, and tattoos.

Halloween and Gothic fashion: From costume to identity

Difference between costume and Gothic outfit

Many people see Halloween as a one-off costume party. In the Gothic scene, however, the night merges with an existing lifestyle:

  • Costume : Disposable outfit from a discount store, garish, stereotypical, worn out after one night.
  • Gothic outfit : a permanent wardrobe, high-quality fabrics, dark, aesthetically sophisticated, symbolism instead of slapstick.

Easure focuses on the second approach: Our Gothic clothing is made from hand-printed organic cotton, features dark art motifs, occult symbols, and social statements. You wear it on Halloween – and 364 other days of the year.

Halloween-ready Gothic pieces

Here are some examples of how to incorporate Halloween vibes into your everyday life:

  • Shirts with vampire or bat motifs, such as the "Hanging Bat" shirt
  • Dark art shirts featuring death, the Grim Reaper, or occult scenes, e.g., "The Death" or "Road to Death"
  • Gothic tights with nets, cut-outs and symbolism from the Gothic tights collection
  • Chokers made of vegan faux leather or BioThane from the PU choker and BioThane choker ranges with pentagrams and O-rings, combining fetish aesthetics with Halloween spirit.
  • Gothic rings with skulls, Baphomet symbol or pentagram from the Gothic Rings collection

This creates a look that works in Halloween photos, is a hit at festivals, and doesn't look like a carnival costume in your everyday life.

Sustainable Halloween aesthetic

Halloween produces masses of disposable decorations, cheap polyester costumes, and low-quality jewelry. As part of a scene that rejects superficial mainstream fashion, you probably have no interest in fast fashion.

Therefore, Easure focuses on:

  • Organic cotton in our shirts and hoodies
  • Hand-printed designs in small series
  • Vegan materials such as PU leather and BioThane are used in chokers.
  • Durable quality that survives multiple Halloween nights, festivals, and club nights.

As you browse through our Gothic jewelry collection or our range of Gothic shirts , you'll feel this approach: Halloween vibes, but without compromising on sustainability and attitude.

Halloween, occultism and symbolism

Pentagram, Baphomet and occult symbols

Many Halloween decorations indiscriminately use pentagrams, 666, or goat heads. In the Gothic community, such symbols are treated more consciously.

Some key features:

  • Pentagram – a symbol of protection in many traditions, a symbol of magic in others. Learn more in our Pentagram Glossary and in the Pentagram Fashion Collection.
  • Baphomet – a complex symbol embodying duality, freedom and rebellion; see the Baphomet glossary and the Baphomet Designs collection.
  • Occult sigils – individual or traditional symbols for rituals and inner work that you can wear as rings, patches or prints, e.g. the “Sigil coffin” ring .

Halloween offers you the stage to express this symbolism outwards: on clothing, on pins , on jewelry – as a clear break with conservative expectations and as a confident statement of your own path.

Witches and witchcraft aesthetics for Halloween

Witches embody the connection between ritual, nature, shadow, and feminine/queer power. In our Witchcraft collection and in the Occult Fashion section, you'll find designs that perfectly match the Halloween vibe:

  • Moon phases, crows, black cats
  • Spellbooks, ritual knives, incense
  • Salem references and Wiccan symbols

By celebrating Halloween as a “Witch Night”, you also strengthen your position against patriarchal, fascist and narrow-minded structures with your look and rituals – a core value of Easure.

Halloween looks from head to toe

Gothic shirts and hoodies with Halloween motifs

For a great Halloween outfit, start with the top:

  • Horror motifs : Shirts from the Horror collection feature zombies, vampires, Dracula and bloody scenes.
  • Halloween Collection : In the Halloween category you will find designs featuring ghosts , creepy monsters and classic undead.
  • Dark Art : The Dark Art collection combines dark art with occult symbolism – perfect for those who don't want cartoon pumpkins, but atmospheric horror illustrations.

Tights, chokers, jewelry: details with impact

Accessories add depth to your Halloween look:

This creates an ensemble that can withstand any Halloween party – and at the same time expresses your scene affiliation in everyday life.

Halloween images, social media and self-presentation

Why Halloween is so photogenic

Halloween delivers strong visual stimuli:

  • contrast between candlelight and darkness
  • orange-black color palettes
  • Pumpkins, smoke, fog machines
  • elaborate make-ups full of blood, tears, cracks and occult symbols

For the Gothic community, this means: the perfect stage for Instagram shots, festival recaps, or dark art photo projects. When documenting your Halloween outfit, striking accessories like Gothic patches , pins , and eye-catching necklaces will help your look work even in close-up.

A production without kitsch

Instead of kitschy, cheap costumes, you opt for:

  • authentic Gothic pieces
  • clear symbolism (pentagram, Baphomet, crows, Grim Reaper)
  • dark, high-quality materials

Easure supports you with limited edition prints and subtle yet intense designs that will make your Halloween photos stand out from the crowd.

Comparison: Mainstream Halloween vs. Gothic Halloween

Tabular overview

aspect Mainstream Halloween Gothic Halloween with Easure
Outfit Cheap costume, worn once Gothic clothing made from organic cotton, wearable all year round
symbolism superficial horror, slapstick conscious use of symbols such as pentagram, Baphomet, witches
attitude Event, commerce A statement for individuality, anti-fascism and subculture
decoration Plastic decoration, short-lived Dark art, sustainable decor, wearable accessories
Everyday after the night Halloween as part of your permanent Gothic style

Halloween as part of your annual cycle

For many in the Gothic scene, Halloween is an important fixed point in the year. The night unites:

  • Samhain energy and remembrance of the dead
  • Horror pop culture, vampires , zombies , monsters
  • Subcultural identity, dark art, and political awareness

Alongside other scene events like festivals (e.g., WGT) or special club nights, Halloween marks a moment when the outside world briefly glimpses into your world. You use the opportunity to showcase your style, jewelry, and attitude – and perhaps win some people over to the dark aesthetic.

Easure accompanies you with:

Frequently Asked Questions about Halloween

What is Halloween and where does the tradition come from?

Halloween refers to the evening of October 31st, "All Hallows' Eve," the night before All Saints' Day. The custom originates from the Celtic festival of Samhain, when spirits and the souls of the dead were believed to visit the world of the living. Later, this origin became intertwined with Christian holidays such as All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Today, a mix of horror pop culture, gothic aesthetics, witch motifs, vampires, and zombies dominates – ideal for those who celebrate Halloween as a night of the spirits.

What is the true meaning of Halloween?

The true meaning of Halloween lies in the transition from light to darkness, from summer to the cold season, and in the proximity to the dead. Behind pumpkins, ghosts , monsters , and rituals lies an ancient awareness of transience and protection. Costumes, candles, and symbols like pentagrams or bats create a kind of magical sanctuary where you can express your dark side while simultaneously conveying a connection to your ancestors or your community.

What do you say when children ring your doorbell on Halloween?

In Germany, the phrase "Süßes oder Saures" (sweet or sour) has become common, the direct translation of "Trick or Treat." Many children also shout "Süßes, sonst gibt's Saures" (sweet, otherwise there'll be sour). When you open the door, greet them warmly, give them sweets, and enjoy seeing costumes as zombies , vampires , little witches , or floating ghosts . A carved Halloween pumpkin on your door shows the kids that they are welcome.

What are some typical Halloween symbols?

Typical Halloween symbols are:

  • carved pumpkins (Jack O'Lantern)
  • Ghosts and skeletons
  • Vampires, bats, werewolves
  • Zombies and other undead
  • Witches, brooms, cauldrons, occult symbols

In the Gothic scene, pentagrams, Baphomet, dark art motifs, and occult rituals also play a major role. You can find these symbols at Easure in collections such as Dark Art , Vampire Fashion , or Witchcraft .

How do I create a Halloween outfit in Gothic style?

Start with a dark gothic shirt or hoodie, for example from the Halloween or horror shirt collections. Complete the look with black trousers or ripped jeans, gothic tights , boots, and eye-catching accessories like pentagram chokers, bat earrings, or rings with skulls. With pale makeup, dark eyes, and a touch of fake blood, you'll create a look somewhere between Dracula , zombie , and witch, perfect for Halloween parties, horror movie nights, or clubbing.

Which Halloween movies fit the Gothic mood?

For a classically dark atmosphere, films like "Dracula," "Nosferatu," "Frankenstein," or "Evil Dead" are ideal. Modern slasher series and anthology films, which tell several stories in one Halloween night, are also perfect for an evening of rituals, monster marathons, and candlelight. In Easure's film reviews, you'll find background information, interpretations, and recommendations for many horror classics.

What role do witches and occultism play at Halloween?

Witches are among the defining figures of Halloween. They represent magic, knowledge outside the norm, and a self-determined connection to nature and the night. Occult rituals , tarot readings, and working with symbols like the pentagram, Baphomet, or sigils give the night a deeper spiritual dimension. In collections like Witchcraft , Occult Fashion , and the Glossary of Occultism, Easure explores these themes and translates them into wearable dark art fashion for your everyday Halloween life.

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