Bringing Home the Love with a Cupid Costume

Although people often forget that it is the source of many popular stories and fairytales, Greek mythology remains one of the most prevalent forces in literature, film and fantasy in general. The tales of the Greek gods and goddesses are filled with erotic love and adventure, mystical creatures and powerful immortals. However, many of those original myths have been watered down and re-adopted. One of these myths, the myth of Cupid, is especially popular, but especially different.

Cupid, the son of Aphrodite, is often pictured as the bringer of love—however, in the original myth he was a destructive imp of a child. The modern myth is one of cuteness and innocence—Cupid flies around, often portrayed as a little baby, shooting arrows of love at unsuspecting couples. This if often the model of the Cupid costume. And even though this was not the original intention of the Greek myth, the Cupid costume embodies the lasting image Cupid himself has made on the public mind.

Aiming for the Heart

A Cupid costume often consists of a little set of wings, a set of arrows, a bow, a quiver and a cloth. The cloth serves as a kind of diaper—since Cupid is often portrayed as an innocent baby, even when adults

dress as Cupid, they take on that role. Once dressed in a Cupid costume, the individual, usually a man, gets to walk around, shooting arrows of love. The wings especially are the focal point of the costume. Cupid wings are usually small and fluffy—they are not gossamer or flimsy. Cupid is often portrayed as having small wings for his body, and this often carries over into the Cupid costume.

Most costumes are used for Halloween, or for other kinds of costume balls. Halloween is a holiday of monsters and fear, and the mix of costumes is usually eclectic, ranging from vampires to Power Rangers. However, the Cupid costume, while a perfect fit for any party of Halloween celebration, has one other use most costumes do not: Valentine’s Day.

A Cupid costume is often a popular choice around the February holiday by people who want to be cute and add a little fun to the office or workplace. This helps to maintain the image of Cupid as the bearer of love, and his eternal connection to Valentine’s Day is perpetuated by his appearance throughout February. But in the end, Cupid is a good boy, and even though the original myth was a little mischievous, it is still the perfect story, and the perfect costume, for the celebration of love.