From the heroine of <i>Stranger Things</i> to Day of the Dead skeletons, who to look out for on fright night.

Halloween in the US has always been one big costume party for people of all ages. We Americans like our babies and our dogs like we like our grandpas: wearing lipstick and a wig. Traditionally, the main focus has been on kids and their special night of trick-or-treating. But now, thanks to social media and everyone’s addiction to “likes”, grown-ups around the globe have finally joined the costume party. Sure, it’s a little sad that we crave the online attention, but maybe social media has, in one way or another, inspired us to be more gregarious and creative. By knowing your followers will see you on Halloween, you might ditch the lame Dracula or witch costume for something more inspired – like an accidental icon from one of the latest Netflix series.

Halloween is also great for people who don’t get dressed up, and could not care less about Instagram. One of the biggest perks of 31 October is watching people like you’re watching a movie. Make yourself some popcorn and shove it in your face as you observe others negotiate the holiday. You might see a little Disney princess rip off her tiara and throw it against the wall because she is on a sugar high, or you might see a grown man tumble down a flight of stairs because he’s not used to getting drunk while dressed as Beyoncé. Halloween is the most ridiculous night of the year.

So then, here are the categories of revelers you might encounter this All Hallows’ Eve. (Be afraid, be very afraid.)

These are the TV and movie junkies who are excited to show the world their version of a beloved (or hated) character. Expect to see plenty of people dressed as Eleven (El) following the return of Stranger Things or Elliot the computer programmer from Mr Robot. Be careful, if you aren’t a good person, El might set your hair on fire and Elliot might hack your life and tell everyone about your weird Google searches. This year also promises a stranger-than-fiction horror show in the form of President Donald Trump.

You might have to unfollow these Day of the Dead show offs on Instagram for a day because the absurd amount of skeleton selfies they post will scare you more than their elaborately painted face. These people are so proud of their makeover they do not care that they cannot eat, or drink, or talk because their mouths are sown shut. The best way to handle these people is to make them laugh: nothing is funnier than a fake dead person trying not to crack their make-up.

They are like the children from The Wolfpack documentary: mysterious, curious, resourceful and most likely had a somewhat sheltered childhood. They’ll turn cereal boxes into a Sleepy Hollow character and old clothes into Batman. These people are popular on Pinterest and supplement their income with the Etsy store they created five years go. On Halloween, they are so damn brilliant they make you feel bad about the cheapo costume you lazily bought online. They are usually either a parent of a child or owner of an animal, who will spend months making their kid or dog an over-the-top costume. Or, they’re the long-standing champion at their company’s annual costume contest. It’s wise to befriend them, maybe they will make your costume next year.

Straight guys who dress up as women are usually either trying to be funny or they want a safe excuse to explore their feminine side. The jocky-bro-type who gussies up like a cheerleader and dances around the room is mostly likely going for an easy laugh. Like, “Yo dude, watch this”, then falls to the ground after attempting a cartwheel, his friends laugh, his goal realised. Then there are the men who want to explore gender fluidity. They are sensitive and emotionally aware and might dabble in poetry – think Mr David Bowie or Prince or a masculine RuPaul. They choose to wear a very fancy lady-type costume because, well, they just feel fabulous in tights, lipstick and a long-haired wig.

These people thought they were going to stay home, but decided to join the fun at the very last minute. They search their house in a panic for something to wear, throwing together something lame such as a pair of camouflage pants, a cowboy hat and a cane. When asked what they are dressed as, they change the subject because they have no idea. They promise themselves that next year they’ll be more prepared, but they won’t. The cleverest thing this tribe can do is not dress up at all and say, “I’m dressed as a poor planner.”