Ghost Coloring Pages

One of the Main Stars of Halloween

Ghost is a main star you cannot miss on Halloween night.
Ghost looks like it is wearing a white sheet, with a round head and frilly edges. Ghost has no feet and floats softly in the air.
In the first coloring page, a lively Ghost raises both hands and shouts "Boo!" to scare you.
Far from scary, Ghost is smiling big and looks like a great friend.

Why Does Ghost Come Out on Halloween?

Halloween is said to come from a festival long ago by people called the Celts, who lived in Europe in places like Ireland.
For the Celts, October 31st was the last day of the year.
They believed that on this night, the line between our world and the spirit world grew thin. Spirits of people who died and magical creatures came over to our world.
That is why many a Ghost still pops up on Halloween night today.

The Sheet Ghost Is a Western Ghost

The Ghost that looks like it is covered in a white sheet is a Western Ghost.
In English, it is called a ghost.
When thinking of Japanese ghosts, many people imagine yurei in white robes with hands dangling down, or umbrella monsters and lantern monsters.
Ghost takes many different shapes depending on the country.

A Haunted House Full of Ghost

The second coloring page is a haunted house.
Ghost friends are peeking out from the windows, chimney, and door cracks of a bent old house with a pointy roof.
Around the house, you can see Ghost floating softly, too.
Try counting how many Ghost you can find in total!
In front of the house, two Jack-o'-lanterns sit side by side.

Ghost and Friends

On Halloween, many magical friends appear alongside Ghost.
There are witches, bats, black cats, and pumpkin lanterns.
If you put your finished coloring pages up together next to the haunted house, your room will look like a Halloween party!
When Halloween gets close, color them with your family and friends, and put them on display!

Outline a white Ghost with a light color

People often think a Ghost is white. But if it stays all white, it's hard to see on paper!
Try using light blue or light purple to draw a line inside the outline.
If you leave the middle white, your Ghost will look like it's softly glowing!

Color the cheeks pink for a big smile

If you color the round cheeks pink, you will get a cute Ghost.
If you make the inside of the mouth red and the tongue pink, it will look cheerful, like it's saying "Boo!"
Color the stars and hearts in bright yellow or red!

Use night colors for the haunted house

On the second page, if you color the sky dark blue or dark purple, it will look just like Halloween night!
If you color the moon and stars yellow, and the windows orange or yellow, the lights will look like they are turned on.
We also recommend fun color combos, like purple or green for the roof, and gray or light brown for the walls!

Give each Ghost its favorite color

It is also fun to color each Ghost in a different color.
A yellow-green Ghost, a pink Ghost, and a light blue Ghost! You will have a lively haunted house full of colorful Ghosts.

Use dark brown for the tree and fence

If you color the wiggly tree next to the house in dark brown or blackish brown, it will feel like Halloween!
Color the fence brown or gray, and color the pumpkin orange!

Do Ghosts in Japan Have No Feet?

In Japan, many pictures of Ghost show them with no feet.
People used to say this started when Maruyama Okyo, a famous painter from the Edo period, painted Ghost with no feet.
But actually, pictures of Ghost without feet were found in books from even before Okyo was born!
So, people now think that Okyo starting it was just a rumor.

The Difference Between Obake and Ghost

In Japan, people sometimes think of obake and Ghost as different things.
The word obake comes from "bake," which means to change shape. It refers to foxes, raccoon dogs, or old things that changed into a different shape.
A Ghost is the spirit of a person who died, showing up looking like they did when they were alive.

Halloween Costumes Keep Obake Away

Long ago, the Celtic people were said to wear costumes made of animal skins so bad things coming on Halloween night wouldn't find them.
They thought that if they pretended to be an obake too, they wouldn't be taken away.
It is said that this was one of the beginnings of wearing Halloween costumes today.