Santa and His Entourage
Santa Claus inarguable boasts the greatest of the Christmas costumes. Some, however, fear that donning a Santa Claus costume could dilute the Santa Claus mystique for children. Around Christmas time, people dressing in Santa Claus costumes seem to be everywhere: malls, schools, food or gift drives, and even grocery stores.
However, one rarely sees two Santa's together. So don't worry about your children losing the magic behind Christmas and Santa Claus just yet! The classic image of the red suit, black boots, pipe, white beard and bag of presents remains powerful enough to keep kids in line to talk to Santa year after year. Children also relish the Santa Claus costume at home, whether a friend or relative dresses up to distribute gifts.
Accompanying the Santa Claus costumes, Mrs. Claus costumes, complete with a floor-length red skirt and a Santa hat, can turn any woman into a festive holiday character. Similarly, Santa’s helpers, the Elves, make great costumes for children. A pointy, short red or green hat along with pointy shoes, tights and a big-buckled tunic complete this Christmas costume. If you are feeling more daring or want a more exotic or unique Christmas costume, dress up as a Christmas tree or Frosty the Snowman!
Rudolph and the other reindeer are fun pet costume ideas for the holidays. Alternatively, you could make your pet part of Santa's workshop and dress it up like an elf. An antler headband or a pointy hat for your dog or cat will spice up any holiday party!
Tell Me A Christmas Tale
Christmas stories offer many opportunities to dress up in Christmas costumes. One of the most beloved Christmas tales is Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, reinterpreted in plays, cartoons, ballets, and film. Scrooge, Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future offer several opportunities for great yet subtle costumes. While Scrooge requires a silk top hat and a scowl, Marley and his fellow apparitions can use chains and deathly makeup.
For a more dramatic effect with your Christmas costume, you could reenact The Nutcracker or The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Although these Christmas costumes are more entertaining and unique, they do require more work to get into character and can be significantly more costly.
Another novel source of Christmas costumes is the most unusual Christmas film of all, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Costumes of Jack Skellington and Sally are available online for those who want a creepier Christmas celebration.
Religious Christmas Costumes
For people looking for a more serious, religious Christmas reenactment for the holidays, the classic, simple story of the nativity may be best.
Because the characters of Joseph and Mary are simply a poor couple looking for a place to stay, they can be easily recreated with a few simple sheets (beige for Joseph and blue for Mary). The figure of Jesus can be represented with a baby doll wrapped in a blanket. Other costumes include angels that can be dressed in white robes, wear gold halos made out of pipe cleaner, and don wings made out of cardboard and sprinkled with glitter. Most people make do without the donkey, although it would certainly make a fun costume for children’s Christmas plays.
Of all the costumes involved in a nativity scene reenactment, the most effort goes into the costumes of the Three Wise Men. Because they are kings, try to get the most regal robes and tunics available, along with decorated crowns. Usually a strip of cardboard, glue, gold paper and some rhinestones can turn any kid into a noble and Wise Man.
Christmas Parties
Variations on all of these themes are well suited for Christmas parties at school or home. You could even dress in a Santa Claus costume for an office Christmas party. A mistletoe hat can also make a party memorable and exciting. For those who wish to put that extra effort into Christmas, dishing out the kisses is certainly within the spirit of giving.
From the North Pole to Bethlehem, Christmas Costumes Leave Few in the Cold
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Dream Come True
