SKELETON

 

When I was of trick-or-treating age, ca. 1959-1962, it was just about sugar. No store-bought costumes, not even masks. We would wear crummy old clothes and color our faces with sidewalk chalk. And no plastic baskets, Pillow cases were more efficient. We would ring doorbell after doorbell in our Queens street of six-story, between the wars apartment buildings. No front door security ring-ins then. We made out pretty well.

Of course, it’s all different now. I don’t know what small children make of all these images of death and dismemberment, but I suspect they are completely desensitized. This was the scene at a Saturday farmers market a town or two over from the suburb where we live.          

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST

Does this reflect our local psyche? There is a thing going around this year about what are essentially Halloween decorations with a bit of Christmas trim. I've seen it at several houses. This is a dry terrarium at the City Museum with lizards skittering around but it's still creepy.             

DOG OF DEATH

It seems like each group of people at the pet parade was weirder than the last. So here's this couple walking down the street with some tiny little pup and the guy is dressed up in a skeleton suit with a bony hand affixed to his top hat. And, for extra effect, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. And it's not Halloween, although that gets pretty strange around here, too.           

THE EVE OF ALL SAINTS DAY

I was raised in a Catholic household. There were these things called Holy Days of Obligation, which meant that you better go to mass or you were in a bunch of trouble. The first of November was one of them, All Saints Day. When I was young I used to confuse it with the baseball All Star Game, which my father took me to once at Yankee Stadium. It was the more fun of the two. 

There is no doubt a long history about how the day before the holy day became associated with the dead and every form of mortal horror. If I weren't so lazy I'd look it up. As it is, we get to drive the children through scenes like this.        

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - WHAT IF YOU SAW THIS COMING UP 6TH AVENUE?

Run or vote?

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR

Halloween is a much bigger deal in this country than when I was a child. We would put on something simple and home made, then mooch candy in a couple of the neighboring apartment buildings. Now it's elaborate and sometimes expensive costumes, parties everywhere, outdoor festivals and an increased amount of horror. I don't know if it's a St. Louis tradition, but kids here are expected to say a funny little riddle before they get their loot. (Ellie's favorite: Q Which monster is the best dancer? A The boogie man.) Never had that in Queens.

I'm sure the reason for the difference is commercialism. Anything you can promote to suck in some extra bucks. There is a heavily-promoted outdoor party in Maryland Plaza here tomorrow night, which I may shoot if it's not too cold and wet. Next week I'm meeting our colleague Olivier from Evry, France, on that little island where I was born. We are going to shoot the Halloween parade in New York's Greenwich Village. If it's not too cold and wet. I hear it's just nuts.

This photo is from the Renaissance Faire.