Valentine’s Day comes every year on Feb. 14. This holiday is celebrated mostly by couples due to its association with love and romance. If you’re looking to make this year more memorable than the last, look for a Cupid costume to impress your partner. Cupid was the mythical god of attraction and is known for his outstretched feathered wings and bow and arrow, which he uses to shoot the feeling of desire into others. Cupid costumes can be worn by both men and women and often include red heart accessories.
The best one is the Men’s Cupid Costume from the Fun Costumes Store, which includes a beige toga onesie, a bow and arrow and red angel wings.
Cupid comes from Greek mythology as the god of attraction, love and desire. He’s said to be the son of Venus, the goddess of love. In the original story of Cupid and Psyche from ancient Greek literature, he’s said to have shot himself with his arrows and realized it caused him to feel love. Centuries later, during the Middle Ages, Cupid became a subject of artists in paintings, sculpture and literature for Christians. Today, his image lives on with merchandise associated with Valentine’s Day.
Christians who lived under the Romans recognized Valentine’s Day as an allegory about a blind prisoner whose vision was brought back by Saint Valentine. In the story, a letter sent to the prisoner was signed “Your Valentine.” In the 19th century, greeting card companies began creating cards for the holiday of love with artwork inspired by Renaissance paintings featuring Cupid. With this information, you can start to see the picture coming together for how we celebrate Valentine’s Day today. Cards, gifts and even costumes are common for people to show their love for their partner in celebration of the holiday.
Since Cupid first became a symbol of love, he always has a bow and arrow by his side. Coming from Venus, the goddess of love, it was in his nature to share this feeling with others. Today’s costumes always come with a bow and arrow accessory to tie the outfit together. In sticking with the Roman theme, many costumes also include a traditional Roman toga — the base of the costume. It’s said Cupid’s father was Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods, which is why you’ll often find a set of wings strapped to Cupid costumes. Cupid costumes do not come with wigs, just wings, a toga, bow and arrow.
The wings in the traditional stories of Cupid were always made of feathers. In fact, this is common for all mythological gods and goddesses. For Cupid costumes, you want to ensure you’re getting the best quality wings to complete your look. Obviously, real feathers are out of the question for several reasons, so faux feathers are the best quality option. The best Cupid wings will include red or white feathers. You can even include a faux boa feather strip across the top to add extra texture.
Finding the right bow and arrow for your Cupid costume can be tricky. After all, you don’t want anything that’s actually sharp or dangerous. On the flip side, anything too flimsy won’t look realistic enough. The best accessory to look for is one that’s sturdy enough to stay extended on its own without having any sharp edges or heavy pieces. Look for a bow and arrow made with hard foam and covered in ribbon to add a finished look. The arrow should be made with plastic and ideally should have a heart tip (instead of a sharp tip) to stick with the theme of love.
Early depictions of Cupid didn’t show him with any head accessories. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t spice up your costume with a headwear accessory. In Shakespeare’s era, the god of love was depicted wearing a blindfold across his eyes. While you may not want to go this far, you can still add something to your head in the form of a themed headband. Some Cupid costumes come with a headband that has hearts sticking out. Along with the bow and arrow, this will help tie your costume together and complete the look of love.
Cupid costumes cost between $20 and $80.
A. Many associate Cupid with his cherub form, which shows him as an adorable baby. For this reason, many costume makers have Cupid costumes for babies that feature togas, wings and a simple headband with hearts.
A. Yes! In Cupid’s mythology, he was often depicted wearing white wings like many other Greek gods and goddesses. However, today, Cupid has taken on many different styles, including the color of his wings. You can find Cupid costume wings in both red and white colors.
What you need to know: This full adult male costume will turn you into the ancient Greek god of love with plenty of accessories to complete the look.
What you’ll love: This Cupid costume includes several accessories to go over the beige toga that works as the base piece. There’s a gold sash with red hearts attached to it that goes across the chest. On the back, you’ll find a piece of fabric cut to look like red angel wings, along with a red and gold bow and arrow. There’s also an optional Greek-style sandal that’s sold separately.
What you should consider: The toga is thin and short, which makes it best suited for warm climates.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: This set of high-quality angel wings is the perfect complement to a homemade or DIY Cupid costume.
What you’ll love: Angel wings are often associated with Cupid, which makes this set of wings a great addition to your costume. These wings use faux feathers dyed in either red or white. They attach to your back using a simple elastic strap, which makes them easy to take on and off. There’s also a boa-type feather that runs along the edges for added texture and quality.
What you should consider: This costume does not come with a suit or any other accessories.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: This woman’s Cupid outfit falls more on the side of romance than a quirky Valentine’s Day costume.
What you’ll love: The base outfit is a red bodysuit. The material is made with polyester but looks like red silk. The costume comes with two accessories: red angel wings and an arrow set. This costume could even double as a Halloween costume.
What you should consider: The angel wings have boa feathers on the edge, but the main feathers are made from a cloth material.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Jordan Beliles writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
