Whether you're hosting or attending a costume party, following some basic ground rules of proper etiquette can make the event more enjoyable for everyone. Wearing a mask doesn't make it okay to do anything you wouldn't do without one. Get into the fun but don't overstep and do something you'll later regret.

Hosting the Party

If you are planning to host a costume party, send the invitations out far enough in advance for your guests to plan and put together their outfits.

This should be at least two weeks ahead, but if possible give them more time. The more time you give your guests the more creative and fun the costumes are likely to be. If you have a theme (pirates, famous couples, movie characters, cartoon characters, mythological characters, 1920s, 1950s, etc.), let them know in the invitation.
Other information to include in the invitation:

• Where the party will be held
• Time and date of the party
• When and how to RSVP
• Whether or not there will be children present

Costumes

When you send the RSVP that you plan to attend a costume party, you are expected to go dressed as someone or something other than yourself. Don't try to get out of it. Going to one of these events without a costume would be the equivalent of going to a formal dinner wearing your swimsuit.

What you wear doesn't have to cost a fortune. There are plenty of dollar stores where you can find inexpensive pieces to put together. Or better yet, look around your house for items you can repurpose for the event.

Make sure your costume is appropriate for the party. For example, you wouldn't want to dress as a character in a slasher movie if small children will be there. You'll also want to have something you can move easily in, so avoid anything that constricts or binds. If you include a mask or anything that covers your face, make sure you can see where you are going when you put it on.

If you are bringing your children to a costume party, take some time to remind them how you expect them to behave. Good manners from children can make the difference of whether or not they're invited to the next party.

Respect others with your costume. Don't wear something that takes up too much space if you know that the party venue is a small room. Avoid anything that might make you appear insensitive to race, sex, religion, or politics.

Host or Hostess Gift

Any time you visit someone's home, it's appropriate to bring a gift—particularly if it's for a party of any type. When you go to a costume party, hand the gift to the host or hostess as soon as you arrive, and don't expect the gift to be used during the party. If you want to bring refreshments, you may do that as well, but that is separate from the hostess gift.

Pranks

Some pranks are fun and harmless, so feel free to indulge. However, before you do that, think about whether or not someone can get hurt or might be offended. If there's even a chance of either happening, don't do it. If your prank involves a mess, be prepared to clean it up immediately and completely. You don't want to leave your fake blood mark on your host's carpet.

Games

Take advantage of your guests being in pretend mode and have games that were designed for costume parties. You just might find that your shyest friends are willing to play along since they are able to hide behind their masks.
Fun costume party games:

• Bobbing for eyeballs – Wash some grapes and put them into a large bucket of water. This is a much easier game than bobbing for apples, so limit each person's time for bobbing to fifteen seconds or less.
• Guess who – If your theme party is based on famous people, line your guests up and have everyone guess who they came as.
• Murder mystery – Have each guest become a character in a mystery. Assign one guest the position of being the murderer, but don't tell anyone else. As far as the rest of your guests are concerned, they are all suspects. Provide clues that build on each other.
• Design a monster – Divide your guests into two, three, or four teams and provide them each with toilet paper, crepe paper, ribbon, tape, and other small, inexpensive items. Give your guests fifteen minutes to create a monster out of one of their teammates and give a prize for the scariest one.
• Spooky continuing story – Have all the guests sit around in a circle. Start a story with one or two sentences, and have each guest add to it until you get to the end. You may have so much fun with this that you'll want to go around twice.

Thank You Note

After you attend any type of party, you should always send a thank you note in the next day's mail or as soon as possible afterward. Some of the things you might want to include are how much you appreciated being invited, how much fun you had, and a memorable event.