Halloween for some is nothing more than a night of inconvenience as little snot nosed children from far and wide seem to flock to your door at the setting of the sun and beg for their fix of red 40, high fructose corn syrup , and of course, that powdered white stuff the FDA calls ‘sugar’. You know, the stuff that makes children’s heads spin and their mouths to run a mile in a minute flat. It’s the stuff that a junkies high is made of, and an addicts low craves for.
For others, Halloween is the night of frights where you are guaranteed a front row seat at a double feature showing of Michael Myers in Halloween, and then an all night viewing on your favorite sofa of Jason the comeback kid in Friday the 13th Parts 1-10. For these individuals, Halloween goes hand in hand with devil worship, haunted houses and of course, heinous acts of terror.
For the rest of us, Halloween is all about the wildest, most creative and of course, most fashionable costumes! Out of all the “secular” holidays we Americans celebrate, this one gives us permission to dress as scandalous ladies of the night , impersonate police officers, and cast spells on arch enemies with the stroke of our magic wands, all without punishment or apology. And if we are lucky, the perfect hand made costume incorporating fabulous Halloween material from our local fabric store, can win us a few extra bucks in our pockets and the title of “Queen of the Costumes” for the night.
Maybe the ancient Gaels from the Celtic culture were on to something in their beliefs that on October 31st, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead became dangerous for the living. Even then, it was a practice to wear masks and costumes in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them. Interesting. Maybe the religious festivities born out of various European Pagan traditions better known as All Saint’s Day, brought just the right amount of spiritual undertone and mystery to conjure up the battle between good and evil that Halloween has been notoriously known for. Or maybe, just maybe the imagery and hype surrounding Halloween is just an amalgamation of nearly a century of work fro
m the American filmmakers and the FDA to create a demand in the consumer’s minds for the dark, the mysterious and all that CANDY!
Whatever the motivation to embrace this wickedly wild and spiritually festive event, one thing is for sure; it must be done in style. If you’re a trick or treater, carry the best bag to hold your goodies. If you are attending a costume party, make sure yours wins. And if you are joining the angels at the All Saint’s Day parade, wear the most colorful and festive outfit you can find. Hey, the freaks only come out once a year, why not join them!
Check out some of the coolest Halloween fabric on line right here!
Check out the hottest skull & cross bone fabric here!
Check out some colorful harvest fabric here!
Posts by J&O Fabrics Store
