It's a dark, drippy Halloween complete with chilly air, crisp yellow leaves and a cert
ain wisp of decay hanging in the air.
Picking between Christmas and Halloween as favorite holiday is tough-- the advantage of Halloween is low expectations. If the candy melts and you get a flat on the way to the party and you get into a fight with your family, it's a rough night but it's not like it puts dents the ambiance of what should be a perfect and beautiful holiday.
And then there's the costume part. Dressing up is like an occupation to me, and I look forward to it months in advance. I've come to a level of expectation for my own costume- comes from a life in theatre, I suppose. The store-bought just won't do. I want authentic, organic, slightly earthy and a little bit used, like I spend everyday as a princess, a pirate, Zorro, whatever. Squeaky clean is fun and games while a little bit of grit is illusion. It's not snobbery-- I think that would mean throwing contempt around, and I am fully aware that dressing up as someone else is not the first priority for many-- for most...and that's quite all right.
I'm also aware that the best costumes are thrown together last minute. Good news for someone like myself, who has yet to do so on this October 31st, despite a year of thinking about it. It's almost the eleventh hour and I have yet to discover where ninjas hide their wardrobe.
The last couple of years have consisted of inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood. There's been a lot of confusion when I enter the room, but it's all in good fun.
The Couple of Swells routine by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland was the inspiration for last year's costume. Let me tell you, volunteering at a kids' Halloween party I was met with some baffled little goblins. Parents figured I was chimney sweep, a vagabond, one even got that I was a 'swell.' But when you're five, what's a torn suit and beat up top hat? One little girl approached, pointed at the lady next to me and proclaimed, "you're a cat!" Her powers of observation were correct. The woman had cheetah ears and a tail. Turning to me the girl took a moment before deciding "you're...a guy?" "Sure," I answered. "I'm a guy."
Of course I wasn't a guy for Halloween, but I don't argue with children or tell them they're wrong. I come from the position that kids are the smartest people on earth and while they may have far reaching explanations for how the world works, the only things that need correcting are a few details.
Example: "A pretty pink stork brought me to my mom and dad."
Response: "Nope, wrong kid. The stork is purple."
"No he's not!"
"Yes, he is. Everyone thinks he's pink. He used to be pink. Now he's a funny blue."
I leave out the fact that he smokes cigars.
Back to Halloween, living in Boston lent itself to heading to Salem at its darkest hour, which I never actually did. What I find humorous, however, is the fact that the Salem Witch Trials occurred in modern day Concord, miles from present day Salem. It's like going to Vegas to see Burning Man. Oops.
ain wisp of decay hanging in the air.Picking between Christmas and Halloween as favorite holiday is tough-- the advantage of Halloween is low expectations. If the candy melts and you get a flat on the way to the party and you get into a fight with your family, it's a rough night but it's not like it puts dents the ambiance of what should be a perfect and beautiful holiday.
And then there's the costume part. Dressing up is like an occupation to me, and I look forward to it months in advance. I've come to a level of expectation for my own costume- comes from a life in theatre, I suppose. The store-bought just won't do. I want authentic, organic, slightly earthy and a little bit used, like I spend everyday as a princess, a pirate, Zorro, whatever. Squeaky clean is fun and games while a little bit of grit is illusion. It's not snobbery-- I think that would mean throwing contempt around, and I am fully aware that dressing up as someone else is not the first priority for many-- for most...and that's quite all right.
I'm also aware that the best costumes are thrown together last minute. Good news for someone like myself, who has yet to do so on this October 31st, despite a year of thinking about it. It's almost the eleventh hour and I have yet to discover where ninjas hide their wardrobe.
The last couple of years have consisted of inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood. There's been a lot of confusion when I enter the room, but it's all in good fun.The Couple of Swells routine by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland was the inspiration for last year's costume. Let me tell you, volunteering at a kids' Halloween party I was met with some baffled little goblins. Parents figured I was chimney sweep, a vagabond, one even got that I was a 'swell.' But when you're five, what's a torn suit and beat up top hat? One little girl approached, pointed at the lady next to me and proclaimed, "you're a cat!" Her powers of observation were correct. The woman had cheetah ears and a tail. Turning to me the girl took a moment before deciding "you're...a guy?" "Sure," I answered. "I'm a guy."
Of course I wasn't a guy for Halloween, but I don't argue with children or tell them they're wrong. I come from the position that kids are the smartest people on earth and while they may have far reaching explanations for how the world works, the only things that need correcting are a few details.
Example: "A pretty pink stork brought me to my mom and dad."
Response: "Nope, wrong kid. The stork is purple."
"No he's not!"
"Yes, he is. Everyone thinks he's pink. He used to be pink. Now he's a funny blue."
I leave out the fact that he smokes cigars.
Back to Halloween, living in Boston lent itself to heading to Salem at its darkest hour, which I never actually did. What I find humorous, however, is the fact that the Salem Witch Trials occurred in modern day Concord, miles from present day Salem. It's like going to Vegas to see Burning Man. Oops.
Comments
Post a Comment