Halloween

So I'm a little late for my Halloween post, but I thought better late than never!  

First of all let me explain that I hate costume parties and dressing up.  Not because its not fun but because its always a struggle for me to come up with something affordable, creative, and cute.  I liked it when I was little because my mom came up with all my cute costumes ideas like: a bunch of grapes, Jasmine, Minnie Mouse, and all sorts of princesses.  But no matter how hard my mother tried, my friend Katie Lyn always won the church costume contest.  Her mom was just a tad bit more creative and "thought outside of the box" (school teacher advantage...ahem...)  For goodness sakes she was a MAILBOX one year?  omg, how cool?  I am pretty sure a childhood of losing costume contests scarred me for life.  

It also would greatly benefit me to think ahead, but since I hate it so much I always wait until the last minute.  I had a pair of wings and a fun purple mask from a costume party last year, so I thought I would make a skirt or something out of tulle and turn it into a pretty fairy costume.  I set off Monday morning to the fabric shops in Paris.  I had never been and wow! Was it an eye opener or what.  There were streets upon streets of tulle, organza, linen, toile, and canvas pouring out onto the sidewalks.  It is just down from the Sacre-Coeur, in Montmartre.

I was looking for tulle, but ended up settling upon organza because it was cheaper and a bit more...flowy.  I bought it by the meter, 2 each of blue, purple, and pink.  I got home and got to ripping and cutting and ended up with a huge ball of fabric that somewhat resembled a skirt.  (My granny would not be proud...) I tried it on and the there was so much fabric I looked like a huge puffy ball of cotton candy.  I trimmed it up a bit, but there was really nothing I could do at this point, so just said screw it and went with it.  I was still going to be able to wear my purple sparkly mask and I was perfectly content with that.

I wasn't about to ride the metro in a purple mask and a fairy skirt, so I packed it all up in a bag, put on my trench coat and set off for the long trek to Flora's house.  Flora is a lady of the 6th floor, like me.  (7th floor for my American friends) Her house was closest to the bar we were going to, so we met there to put on our makeup and costumes.

We finally got to Cap Rouge, and to my surprise there were no other fairies, princesses, or bunches of grapes.  Everyone that was actually dressed up was a dead something or another with blood running all over the place.  Although, I guess that would be the French's view on Halloween having never experienced it in the US.

Rozy was Robinhood....homemade outfit. She's a fashion genius. 

Laura, before she drew on her smile...and Flora-witch. 

I don't know why Susanna is making that face?  But, Susanna-mime, Laura-demented clown, Regine-ladybug.

No, Laura did not actually smile in any pictures this night.  And every time someone would take a photo she would cock her head over to one side...haha!  We didn't realize it until we were looking at photos the next morning.  

Halloween in France is not widely celebrated at all.  In fact, Manon's mother mentioned All Saints Day, and I said, "Oh yes, the day after Halloween." "Oh no, Maggie" she said, "don't say that."  

Even though some of the earliest Halloween traditions started in France, it is pretty much frowned upon these days.  The younger generation is warming up to it quite a bit, but it is only celebrated in bars, pubs, friends' homes, McDonald's, and Starbucks.  There isn't trick-or-treating, unless you happen to live in a very American neighborhood or building complex.  People think its just a fad, and often boycott the holiday just to prove they are anti-American.  I saw more Halloween decorations and Jack-o-Lanterns in 3 days in Budapest than I did in a month in Paris.  

A few years back, one of the local telephone companies put thousands of pumpkins (real and fake) in the gardens of the Trocadero and invited all children to come and participate in a true American Halloween. There were promises of light shows, face painting, pumpkin carving, pumpkin pie making, and trick-or-treating.  Turnout was dismal, and lets just say it was the only year they have ever done that!  

It was a fun night spent amongst many scary costumes and unlike any Halloween I've ever had before!  There were no ghouls or goblins, no kids following behind their parents in a Radio Flyer wagon, no mummies or ghosts, no trick-or-treating or smiling pumpkins flickering in the dark, but it was fun to celebrate a purely American holiday in France!!