Uploaded October 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The witch halloween costume : pointy witch hat, long hooked nose-- and anti-semitism?! The history of witch costumes and anti-semitic stereotypes goes back further than the witch trials to the middle ages, when Jews and witches were considered one and the same. Turns out, this harmless-seeming witch Halloween costume has a problematic history, and as a Jewish dress historian, I'm here to explain it.
So where does the witch hat come from? What's the history of the witch hat? The history of witches is long, but many of the stories we associate with historical witches go back to the Malleus Maleficarum . . . and the text on anti semitism it was based on, the Malleum Judaeorus (Hammer against Jews). Medieval witches were persecuted interchangeably with medieval Jews, so much of the lore and history of witchcraft in Europe is a recycling of medieval anti-semitism. Turns out, the historically accurate witch hat was actually a traditional hat worn by Jews, and was then both forced on them by antisemitic laws, and used as visual shorthand for greed, evil, and witchcraft. All of these antisemtic stereotypes and more were applied to the medieval witch, despite the fact that the historical witch was usually just a woman who ran afoul of social prejudices. Add in a couple hundred years of history and politics, the Salem witch trials and European witch craze, and the association of Quakers and witches through the use of those same antisemitic stereotypes, and you have our modern witch halloween costumes.
If the historical witch was really just a medieval Jew, and the historically accurate witch costume is little other than antisemtism, what does that mean for us? Is it wrong to wear a historically accurate witch hat? Is your witch cosplay hurting people? Honestly . . . it might be. While I see nothing wrong, with enjoying witch history facts, the actual history of the witch trials shows us just how much antisemitism was involved in this outfit. I don't think we need to stop dressing up in witch costumes altogether, but I do think we need to be more aware of the history of the witch costume and the stereotypes we're giving life to when we wear it. Unfortunately, these stereotypes are not a long-past part of witchcraft history because they are still hurting Jews today.
Join my Patreon for behind-the-scenes updates, pattern diagrams, research lists, monthly video chats, and more! patreon.com/snappydragonstudios
Or, you can buy me some Ko-Fi : ko-fi.com/snappydragon
Follow me on IG for more stitchy business : @missSnappyDragon
For business inquiries, send an e-mail to : SnappyDragonStitches at Gmail dot Com
I do not take personal costume/sewing or research commissions.
Want to send me letters? Send mail to PO Box 3884, Berkeley CA, 94703! Letters and cards only please 💚
Chapters :
0:00 Dressing up as a witch
0:21 Who am I and why do I care
1:20 Answers to common questions
2:05 What's in a witch costume?
2:44 Content warning!
3:03 Jews and Malleus Maleficarum
5:33 Witch hats
7:29 How Quakers got dragged into it
10:01 The nose
12:21 Green skin and Jew-coding
13:02 Blood libel
15:47 How this affects us today
19:18 Should we get rid of witch costumes?
21:23 Who designed this thing?
The witch halloween costume : pointy witch hat, long hooked nose-- and anti-semitism?! The history of witch costumes and anti-semitic stereotypes goes back further than the witch trials to the middle ages, when Jews and witches were considered one and the same. Turns out, this harmless-seeming witch Halloween costume has a problematic history, and as a Jewish dress historian, I'm here to explain it.
So where does the witch hat come from? What's the history of the witch hat? The history of witches is long, but many of the stories we associate with historical witches go back to the Malleus Maleficarum . . . and the text on anti semitism it was based on, the Malleum Judaeorus (Hammer against Jews). Medieval witches were persecuted interchangeably with medieval Jews, so much of the lore and history of witchcraft in Europe is a recycling of medieval anti-semitism. Turns out, the historically accurate witch hat was actually a traditional hat worn by Jews, and was then both forced on them by antisemitic laws, and used as visual shorthand for greed, evil, and witchcraft. All of these antisemtic stereotypes and more were applied to the medieval witch, despite the fact that the historical witch was usually just a woman who ran afoul of social prejudices. Add in a couple hundred years of history and politics, the Salem witch trials and European witch craze, and the association of Quakers and witches through the use of those same antisemitic stereotypes, and you have our modern witch halloween costumes.
If the historical witch was really just a medieval Jew, and the historically accurate witch costume is little other than antisemtism, what does that mean for us? Is it wrong to wear a historically accurate witch hat? Is your witch cosplay hurting people? Honestly . . . it might be. While I see nothing wrong, with enjoying witch history facts, the actual history of the witch trials shows us just how much antisemitism was involved in this outfit. I don't think we need to stop dressing up in witch costumes altogether, but I do think we need to be more aware of the history of the witch costume and the stereotypes we're giving life to when we wear it. Unfortunately, these stereotypes are not a long-past part of witchcraft history because they are still hurting Jews today.
Join my Patreon for behind-the-scenes updates, pattern diagrams, research lists, monthly video chats, and more! patreon.com/snappydragonstudios
Or, you can buy me some Ko-Fi : ko-fi.com/snappydragon
Follow me on IG for more stitchy business : @missSnappyDragon
For business inquiries, send an e-mail to : SnappyDragonStitches at Gmail dot Com
I do not take personal costume/sewing or research commissions.
Want to send me letters? Send mail to PO Box 3884, Berkeley CA, 94703! Letters and cards only please 💚
Chapters :
0:00 Dressing up as a witch
0:21 Who am I and why do I care
1:20 Answers to common questions
2:05 What's in a witch costume?
2:44 Content warning!
3:03 Jews and Malleus Maleficarum
5:33 Witch hats
7:29 How Quakers got dragged into it
10:01 The nose
12:21 Green skin and Jew-coding
13:02 Blood libel
15:47 How this affects us today
19:18 Should we get rid of witch costumes?
21:23 Who designed this thing?
