On October 31, Kenyans woke up to their social media feeds packed with celebs dressed up for Halloween.
While the holiday is more widely celebrated abroad, it is becoming increasingly popular locally and in Africa.
Pulse Live reports that Nairobi’s nightlife scene and entertainment venues are embracing the spooky season with thrilling events, costume parties, and themed décor.
The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts, per History.com.
“In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween.”
The report adds: “Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.”
Some of our favourite prominent ladies paid homage to the renowned American actress Halle Berry, who is loved and celebrated for her beauty, sense of style and successful acting career.
South African singer Tyla channeled Halle on her role as Sharon Stone in The Flintstones movie, on which she [Halle] starred in 1994.
“Tyla didn’t just wear a costume- she brought the look to life, paying homage to one of Halle’s most memorable roles with an impressive attention to detail.From the character’s iconic animal print dress to Tyla’s modern twist on the style, her costume was a playful yet glamorous throwback,” Bella Naija reports.
The Water singer wasn’t the only one with Halle Berry on her mind.
Rapper Coi Leray and actress Halle Bailey also dressed up as Halle from different moments in her lustrous career.
Coi looked stunning as Patience Phillips in Cat Woman, the 2004 film.
“[She] kept it classic with a custom costume mimicking Halle Berry’s iconic Catwoman look. The 27-year-old’s black and leather get-up was designed by Indea Dezjèl,” Vibe reports.
Little Mermaid actress Halle Bailey channeled Halle Berry as Jinx in the 2002 film Die Another Day.
[Bailey] dressed down in a sexy orange bikini accessorized with a belt sheath and wore a wavy pixie cut wig to look like the Oscar winner in her James Bond era, per People Magazine.
More stars took on intriguing, even humorous costumes to mark Halloween, like rapper Saweetie, who paid homage to Heath Ledger’s iconic The Joker [The Dark Knight] character.
“Wanna see a magic trick?” she captioned a clip acting out a scene from the movie in her costume, which was meticulously put together, from the make-up, to the clothes, and even green wig.
TMZ reported that her mannerisms and hunched posture were all spot-on, while noting that Heath famously won an Oscar for his performance.
The most followed woman on Instagram, Selena Gomez took it back to Alice In Wonderland as Alice, co-ordinating with her boyfriend, music producer Benny Blanco who dressed as Mad Hatter from the film.
Naturally, Selena’s post on the social media app has already received over 8 million likes.
Buzzfeed lists top costumes from this year’s Halloween, including Lizzo as Ozempic, an antidiabetic medication that has become known for weight loss over the last few years.
More notable looks include reality star Angela Simmons as Mariah Carey’s ‘Memoirs’ cover; actress Kelly Rippa and her husband Mark Consuelos as Taylor Swift and her beau, Travis Kelce, among others.
