It's-a Spooky Season! 10 Reasons to Dress as Mario or Luigi This Halloween

The nights are getting longer. The ghosts are coming out. And somewhere, a homeowner just heard a strange gurgling noise in the basement.

Spooky season is here.

Now, I've spent my whole life around plumbers. And I'll tell you something the rest of the world forgets. The two most famous plumbers on the planet wear overalls, carry no paperwork, and have never once sent an invoice.

That's right. Mario and Luigi.

So for our pre-Halloween edition, I'm making the case. Here are ten reasons you should dress as Mario or Luigi this year.

1. You Already Own the Costume

Overalls? Check. Work boots? Check. A cap that's seen better days? Check. Raid the work truck and you're halfway there. This might be the only costume in history you can write off as uniform. (Don't. I'm kidding. Ask your accountant.)

2. Representation Matters

Doctors get TV dramas. Lawyers get courtroom shows. Plumbers got two brothers who save the kingdom. Wear the overalls with pride. You're carrying the banner for the whole trade.

3. Pipes Are the Main Attraction

In their world, you jump into a pipe and come out somewhere completely different. Any plumber who's ever opened a wall knows that's not fantasy. Pipes always go somewhere you didn't expect. Usually behind a brand-new tile backsplash.

4. Luigi Is the Original Ghost Hunter

Let's talk spooky credentials. Luigi got his own haunted mansion and went room to room clearing out ghosts. Scared out of his mind the whole time. Showed up anyway.

If that isn't every tech who's ever crawled into a dark crawlspace with a flashlight and a bad feeling, I don't know what is.

5. It's a Family Business

Two brothers running a plumbing outfit together. I grew up spending summers on my dad's job sites with my brothers. Trust me, the arguing over who gets the good wrench is completely accurate.

6. They Never Quit

Mario falls in a pit. Gets flattened. Runs out of time. And what does he do? Starts the level again.

That's the whole idea behind my book, Failing to Fail. Fail never gets the final word. Mario has been living the BUILD Protocol for decades. He just doesn't know it yet.

7. Power-Ups Are Just Training

Grab a mushroom, grow bigger. Grab a flower, get new skills. In the real world, we call that continuing education. Same result. Fewer mushrooms.

8. They're Customer Service Legends

These two cross lava, dodge fireballs, and battle a giant turtle to help someone in need. And when they finally reach the castle and find out the princess is in another one? They don't quit. They just head for the next castle.

Honestly, that's a dispatch problem. Somebody needs to update the job notes.

9. Bowser Is Every Business Problem You've Ignored

You beat him. He comes back. You beat him again. He comes back bigger.

In the book, I call that a Repeat Offender. The problem you never fully fixed, so it keeps showing up with a new castle and a worse attitude. Mario could save himself a lot of trouble with a good system. Just saying.

10. Every Kid Will Think You're a Hero

Here's the real one. Walk down the street dressed as Mario or Luigi and every kid lights up. They already think plumbers are heroes.

Maybe one of them grows up to be one. That's how you recruit the next generation. One trick-or-treater at a time.

Costume Tips From a Real Plumber

• Red shirt for Mario, green for Luigi. Blue overalls for both.

• Your real pipe wrench makes a great prop. Leave the torch at home.

• A clean plunger works too. Emphasis on clean.

• And no, that green pipe sticking out of your yard is not a warp pipe. It's a cleanout. Please don't jump in.

Happy Halloween from all of us at Advancing the Trades. Stay safe out there, keep the candy coming, and if you hear a gurgle in the basement tonight... call a professional.

I'm not a politician. I'm not in the military. But as a plumber, I protect your world. Without me, your world smells a whole lot different.

TimmyBoy Founder, Advancing the Trades | Author, Failing to Fail

Mario, Luigi, and Super Mario Bros. are trademarks of Nintendo. Advancing the Trades is not affiliated with Nintendo in any way, we just like plumbers