Painted portrait of St. Joan of Arc holding a sword. Photo via Dante Gabriel Rossetti on Picryl
As it is October, Halloween is approaching very quickly. With Halloween being celebrated for many years people have begun making creative and unconventional costumes.
A popular choice this Halloween season is the Catholic Saint Joan of Arc. Joan was a young teenage girl during the 1400’s who led the French rebellion troop into many victories against England. Two years after her victories, she was sent to be burned alive after she was found guilty of wearing men’s clothing.
People who are choosing to dress up as Joan often wear miniskirts and short shirts with armor detailing. This has caused a huge controversy online with people debating whether this is disrespectful. Many people say this is disrespectful, pointing out that the main reason Joan of Arc died was because she was found guilty of wearing men’s clothing. Wearing skirts is disregarding what Joan stood for, defeating the purpose of wearing the costume.
Other people claim that it is okay to dress up as her for Halloween if you do it correctly. They say an accurate costume for Joan is long pants and a long-sleeved shirt with armor detailing.
Popular singer Chappell Roan recently performed at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards dressed up as Joan of Arc. People on social media are claiming she gave a correct and respectful representation of Joan Of Arc. This has also sparked debate online with others saying Joan Of Arc should not be portrayed as anyone at all.
People have tried to justify this costume choice by attempting to accurately portray it. They claim it is okay if they wear it as long as they are wearing pants instead of miniskirts. Other people believe it best not to dress up as her at all.
