What would Halloween be without all the costume parties? "Dress up as your favorite ghost or ghoul" says the invitation card. Then we have to answer the age-old question: "What should I go as?" Irrespective of whether we are horror movie fans, there is no denying that we all enjoy the idea of scaring other people. Halloween allows us to go about scaring people without being reprimanded in return. From children to senior citizens, we all love to dress up as our favorite ghouls. On the night of October 31 every year, our peaceful streets become infested by characters that seem to have walked right out of horror movies. It is like A Nightmare on Elm Street in real life.

Dressing up for Halloween is usually quite difficult. But it can also be one of the easiest things ever. Stitch up the sides of a big wide bed sheet, cut out two holes for the eyes, and a ghost costume shall be all ready for you. Of course, that could be simplifying things more than a little, unless one really wants to be a ghost. For the more complicated outfits, one can simply walk over to a costume rental store and choose the ideal costume.

There are so many outfits that you could choose from. You could go as a witch with a broom or as a zombie. You could buy one of those skeleton costumes where the bones are painted in luminous colors. The point is to look frightening. The question is how far would you go? These days, it is quite a bit easy to locate the perfect costume. Costume stores have costumes for people of all ages. So even if you want to stay away from looks out of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, you would still have many looks to choose from. Superhero movies usually provide a great deal of inspiration when it comes to halloween costumes.

However, just the clothes will not complete your look. You need halloween masks as well. Luckily, these days one can buy really realistic-looking halloween masks. So if you are looking forward to making a grand entrance dressed as a zombie, don't worry about finding the perfect make-up. There are bound to be terrific zombie masks to satisfy your need for blood and gore. Moreover, with the development of silicon masks that bear a closer resemblance to human flesh, halloween costumes have become very realistic. Halloween costume parties just became a lot more fun.

Each year a new batch of halloween costumes becomes popular. There are perennial favorites this time of year, like witches, ghosts and monsters. But popular culture is always reflected in people's Halloween costume choices.

For the fifth year in a row, people around the country will be showing supporting the troops by dressing up as soldiers. A soldier costume, whether pieced together from an army surplus store or purchased ready-made at a costume shop, is a popular choice. Men and boys alike can use this easy costume idea.

The phrase “everything old is new again” certainly applies to the next Halloween costume trend: the 80's. Fashion and hairstyles from the 1980s now have retro appeal and make terrific costumes. Teens and young adults especially enjoy dressing up in retro 80's goth costumes, or 80's punk costumes. Acid-wash jeans, glam makeup and lots of “big hair” make the perfect 80's wear for women who want to relive their teen days.

Politicians are always popular costume choices, and even more so this year as we are 13 months away from the next election. Men can choose from one of several George W. Bush masks. Political front runners Barack Obama and John Edwards are also likely costume choices. Women who want to get in on this costume trend can dress like Hilary Clinton or Condoleeza Rice.

The Simpsons made the leap from T.V. to the big screen this year, so costumes of the characters will be a big hit this season. Dressing like Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie would be great for a family of 5. Dressing like any one of the other characters, like Mr. Burns, Patty, Selma, Moe or Barney will be popular as well.

For the kids, there were plenty of feature films to draw costume inspiration from. Harry Potter and Spiderman, both popular costume choices in previous years, made their return to the big screen. Harry Potter's trademark glasses, robes and a wand are going to be popular this year, as well as costumes that depict his many friends and foes at Hogwart's school.

Spiderman has always been a popular costume, but this year the costume of his enemy Venom may be just as popular. This “black” version of Spiderman will probably sell out quickly. The other Spiderman 3 foes, Sandman and the New Goblin, will be popular picks as well.

Transformers was a summer blockbuster, and you can bet that Transformer costumes will be a hit this year. Optimus Prime, Megatron and Jazz costumes will be on the top of many boys' lists.

For the girls, the Disney Princess and Disney Fairy costumes will be as popular as ever. Dressing like one of the enchanted Princesses of the Disney movies will always be a little girl's dream come true. The new Fairies line features costumes that are just as delightful for little girls.

The movie “Hairspray” has inspired a flashback to 60's dance wear. Girls, teens and even their moms will be dressing up like they are going to sockhop. Full skirts, crisp white shirts and bouffant hairstyles will be in style this Halloween.

No matter what type of costume you're looking for, there are plenty of popular choices for 2007 for every member of your family.

If you walk around your neighborhood, there is a good chance that you will see very similar decorations at every home. Jack-o-lanterns, orange lights, trash bag pumpkins, and witches that have “crashed” into garage doors and nearby trees are incredibly common. However, if you are looking for something different to do this year, read on for creative ideas.

Masks

Hang a creepy mask on your front door. Decorate your scarecrow and garden gnomes with them. You can even hang them in the windows to look like someone creepy is peaking out. You can amp up the scary tone by placing a flash light on the ground, turning it on, and adjusting the light to illuminate the mask. Just make sure that any masks used outdoors are waterproof and fastened down so that they do not become ruined or fly away.

Vases

Glass vases can be an interesting way to decorate inside of your home. Consider filling them with different objects in fall and Halloween colors – colored leaves, black and orange marbles, Halloween candies, or even plastic bugs. You can then reuse the vases by making a few changes in the contents for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays. You can often find a variety of “fillers” at your local craft or dollar store.

Webs

Fake spider webs can make your front yard look creepy, but you can also use them inside, where you get the added benefit of having them last longer. Hang them in doorways and in corners throughout your home. You can even consider adding on some creepy inhabitants to perfect the look. Another benefit? You won't have to worry about dust? You may want to consider spraying the webbing with an insect repellent to keep the real deal from moving in. You will also want to make sure that you do not hang them anywhere that could be a potential fire hazard.

Murals

Have some budding artists in your family? Consider designing your own Halloween mural. You can then hang this in a bay window, a blank wall, or even outside if the weather permits. Have older children design their own Halloween scene, while younger children can color in the words “Happy Halloween.” This can also be a cute memento to pass on when your children get older to help remind them of childhood Halloweens.

Accents

If you don't want to go all out with your Halloween decorations, a few tasteful accents can help set the Halloween mood without turning your home into a Haunted house. For instance, you can hang orange and black curtains or bring out some Halloween themed throw pillows. Look for a Halloween welcome mat or move your smaller potted plants into plastic Halloween trick-or-treating containers. You can even look for Halloween knick knacks and static window clings.

If you are tired of the traditional Halloween decorations, a little creativity can help you create your own Halloween display. Simply look for items that you like that fall into the Halloween theme and create your own designs.

Many blocks of a neighborhood are decorated with all kinds of eerie things. As children wander from house to house with their parents by their side, they might come across several homes with doors that are making eerie sounds. When some children hear these strange noises for the first time, they make it very difficult for the parent to coax them to walk up the sidewalk to the house.

Some doors are so scary that children will refuse to knock on the door. Some older children might have to do it and yell "Trick or Treat" for them. The children might be staring at ghosts that are floating under trees. Some children in the group might be captivated by a large spider that is crouching in a huge spider web that has been expertly formed by a homeowner on the corner of the porch.

Parents are almost certain that the children are not thinking about candy at this point. They can see that the creaking door that made eerie sounds has had a dramatic affect on the children. The children might not recover from their rigid posture for many hours on Halloween night and the parents will have to avoid any other Halloween door decorations that make eerie sounds.

Halloween is normally a joyful event that brings out all types of ghosts and goblins into the streets. Children that walk with parents have probably already heard a speech about none of it being real. When doors make eerie sounds, some children are too young to understand this crazy logic and will hold tightly to the legs of parents and still refuse to go up another sidewalk. They might even rely on a big brother to bring them the candy that was being handed out at that eerie house.

Some children will not believe that halloween costumes are not real until they remove a monsters mask and look the wearer directly in the eye. Some children are bothered by this small task on Halloween because some people are pranksters and have chosen to wear more than one mask on this Halloween. When the children remove the monsters mask they will be shocked to find themselves looking at an ogre with only one eye.

Some little ones are very saddened on Halloween because they see their favorite cartoon character with an arrow piercing their forehead. Other children might think it is quite funny to see some characters they know in love totally out of character. With these little quirks to people they can relate to a child is able to start seeing the jovial attitudes that surround Halloween.