National Costume Swap Day
October 10
About National Costume Swap Day
National Costume Swap Day takes place on Saturday, 10 October 2026, falling on the second Saturday of October each year. The day encourages families to trade Halloween costumes with friends, neighbours and local groups rather than buying brand new outfits, cutting waste while keeping the fun of dressing up alive.
How to Celebrate National Costume Swap Day
The whole point of the day is to get involved and pass costumes on, so here are practical ways to take part:
- Host a costume swap party – Invite friends and neighbours to bring outgrown or unwanted costumes and let everyone pick something new to them. A relaxed afternoon with snacks turns decluttering into a social event.
- Organise a swap at school or nursery – Children grow out of costumes quickly, so a swap table in the playground or classroom gives outfits a second life and saves parents money.
- Set up a swap at work – Office costume swaps are a low-effort way to mark the day. Put a collection box in the break room in the weeks beforehand and lay everything out for colleagues to browse.
- Use a community or faith group – Scout groups, libraries, churches and community centres make ideal venues for larger swaps that reach families who might not otherwise take part.
- Repair and refresh an old costume – If you do not want to swap, breathe new life into last year’s outfit with a few accessories, a wash and a small repair. A new mask or cape can completely change a look.
- Make a costume from items you already own – Raid the wardrobe and the dressing-up box before heading to the shops. A ghost, a vampire or a scarecrow can be assembled from clothes you already have.
- Donate leftover costumes – Anything left over after a swap can go to a charity shop, a women’s refuge or a children’s charity so that nothing ends up in the bin.
- Share the idea online – Post photos of your swapped outfit and tag friends to spread the message. The more people who swap, the less waste Halloween produces.
What is National Costume Swap Day?
National Costume Swap Day is an environmental awareness day that promotes reusing and exchanging Halloween costumes instead of buying new ones. It is built on a simple idea: a costume worn once and then forgotten is wasteful, but a costume passed from family to family can be enjoyed many times over. The day appeals to parents, schools, community groups and anyone who wants a greener, more affordable Halloween. It sits comfortably alongside the wider movement towards reuse and second-hand living, such as Second Hand September.
When is National Costume Swap Day?
National Costume Swap Day falls on Saturday, 10 October 2026. It is observed on the second Saturday of October every year, which places it a few weeks before Halloween so families have time to find and prepare their swapped outfits. Because it is tied to a day of the week rather than a fixed date, it moves around the calendar each year.
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday, 10 October |
| 2027 | Saturday, 9 October |
| 2028 | Saturday, 14 October |
| 2029 | Saturday, 13 October |
| 2030 | Saturday, 12 October |
The History of National Costume Swap Day
National Costume Swap Day was launched in 2010 by Green Halloween, an initiative founded by mother-and-daughter team Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson. The pair had already written the book Celebrate Green: Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, which set out to show that festive traditions could be enjoyed without the mountain of waste that often comes with them. Costume Swap Day grew directly out of that work as a way to tackle one of Halloween’s biggest sources of single-use waste: the costume.
The concept caught on because it solved a familiar problem. Children outgrow costumes within a year, themes change, and outfits worn for a single evening often sit unused before being thrown away. By encouraging organised swaps through schools, community groups and online networks, the founders turned a private bit of clutter into a shared resource. Early swaps were promoted alongside a network of partner organisations that helped families find local events.
In the years since, the idea has spread well beyond its original organisers. Schools, scout troops, libraries and councils now run their own swaps, and the broader rise of second-hand and circular living has given the day fresh relevance. While the formal Green Halloween campaign has evolved over time, the second Saturday of October remains widely recognised as the moment to swap rather than shop.
Fun Facts About National Costume Swap Day
- Around 35 million Halloween costumes are thrown away in the United States each year, according to widely cited waste industry estimates.
- An estimated 83 percent of Halloween costumes are made using non-recyclable plastic-based materials, contributing thousands of tonnes of plastic waste annually.
- Many synthetic costumes can take decades to break down, with some materials estimated to linger for 20 to 200 years.
- The day was created by the authors of an eco-friendly holiday book, making it one of the few awareness days to grow straight out of a publication.
- Swapping just one costume per child across a community can prevent dozens of new outfits from being manufactured and shipped each year.
- National Costume Swap Day deliberately falls before Halloween so families have time to organise, collect and prepare their swapped outfits.
Why National Costume Swap Day Matters
Halloween has become one of the most wasteful events on the calendar, with cheap, mass-produced costumes worn once and then binned. Swapping costumes keeps perfectly good outfits in circulation, saves families money, and teaches children that reuse can be just as fun as buying new. It is a small, achievable action that turns a single day of dressing up into a lasting habit of thinking about waste. Reuse-focused days like No Disposable Cup Day show how everyday choices add up to real environmental impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Costume Swap Day?
It is an awareness day that encourages people to exchange Halloween costumes rather than buy new ones, reducing waste and saving money. It was created in 2010 by the Green Halloween initiative.
When is National Costume Swap Day in 2026?
National Costume Swap Day is on Saturday, 10 October 2026. It always falls on the second Saturday of October.
Who started National Costume Swap Day?
It was founded in 2010 by Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson, the mother-and-daughter team behind Green Halloween and the book Celebrate Green: Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your best swapped-costume photos on social media with #CostumeSwapDay and #CostumeSwapDay2026. Tag your friends and challenge them to swap rather than shop this Halloween.
Related Awareness Days
- Second Hand September – A month-long challenge to buy nothing new, sharing the same reuse-first spirit as costume swapping.
- Recycle Week – A national campaign encouraging households to recycle more and waste less.
- Halloween – The main event that costume swaps are preparing for, celebrated on 31 October.
Links
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