Halloween, which is round the corner, is one of the most anticipated holidays in the U.S and certain other parts of the world, such as continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Japan, and elsewhere in East Asia. Children and adults alike participate in this festival by trick-or-treating, carving jack-o'-lanterns, attending costume parties, playing pranks on each other, watching horror movies, etc.
The biggest attraction of Halloween is costumes. Halloween costumes are traditionally modeled after monsters, ghosts, ghouls, skeletons, witches, vampires, werewolves, and devils.
Over time, however, people have also begun dressing up as popular fictional characters, including superheroes, princes and princesses, and Hollywood celebrities.
Meanwhile, commercialization of Halloween has brought about a problem -- Halloween costumes are available in stores and one can order them online, as well, but they are mostly mass-produced, so if you have bought your costume from a local store and you are invited to a Halloween costume party, don't be surprised should you find your friends wearing the same costumes at the party.
However, if you want to wear something unique and interesting, be it scary or funny, you've come to the right place. Start the slideshow to check out great Halloween costume ideas from around the world, for both men and women.
A girl models her costume at the "Scaredy Cats and Dogs" Halloween fund-raising event at a mall in Quezon CityReutersA boy dressed in Halloween costume plays with a phone before a contest in ManilaReutersA masked man poses during a "Halloween Convoy of Terror" in CaliReutersA boy models his costume during the "Scaredy Cats and Dogs" Halloween fund-raising event at a mall in Quezon CityReutersA participant dressed as Pinhead from the film "Hellraiser" takes part in the annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in New YorkReutersParticipants dressed as Lego toys take part in the annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in New YorkReutersA man dressed as a character from the movie "Avatar" takes part in the Moto Halloween Party 2010 in California.ReutersAn artist prepares to perform at the Shanghai Nightmare haunted house attraction in ShanghaiReutersA participant dressed as a character from the show "Ghostbusters" takes part in the annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in New YorkReutersA woman dressed as Nadya Suleman nicknamed "Octomom" takes part in the annual Halloween parade in Greenwich Village in New YorkReutersParade participants dressed as the characters from the film "Psycho" take part in the annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in New YorkReutersMan dressed as an alien cheers for the Flames during NHL hockey game against the Red Wings during Halloween night in CalgaryReutersA participant poses during a Halloween parade in Kawasaki, south of TokyoReutersA man covered in fake blood carries an axe as he participates in the annuall Halloween parade in Greenwich Village in New YorkReutersTo match feature JAPAN-IDENTITY/HALLOWEENReutersTwo women show off body painting at the annual Halloween parade in Greenwich Village in New YorkReutersA participant dressed as Chewbacca from the film "Star Wars" takes part in the annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in New YorkReutersJoe Castro at the West Hollywood Costume Carnival on Halloween nightReutersA "creature" takes a break before heading into the House of Torment haunted house in Austin, TexasReutersParticipants dressed as David and Victoria Beckham take part in the annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in New YorkReuters