The myth of the spider wig is definitely an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare. In this story, a young woman is putting together her own costume with treasures from her grandmother’s attic. She sets her eyes on a witch hat and wig, dresses up, and heads to a party. Her scalp is a bit itchy, but she thinks nothing of it—until fellow partiers start freaking out. Out of her headgear, and crawling all over her face, are thousands of tiny little eight-legged arachnids.
This creepy-crawly legend likely dates back to the 1950s, when rumors spread of women unwittingly carrying around bug infestations in their bouffant hairdos. While this specific Halloween tale is mere legend, it's easy to see why it sticks around: How many news stories have you read about poor souls with a stuffy nose or itchy ear discovering something is living inside them?