"Have a Halloween that doesn't suck!"

29-31 October Edition.

Our weekend wish for all:  "Have a Halloween that doesn't suck!"

In America, halloween costumes may have all been gone from the rental shops these past couple of weeks. But we've seen how creative some souls can be, and in Salem, MA, one can already see a couple or two trying on their costumes and make-up in early October when the month-long Haunted Happenings begin.

We've purposely visited with our family there in early fall for some years and braved the biting cold to enjoy the main event of the Happenings on Halloween night at the downtown mall area. 

We've seen a variety of get-ups, some scary enough in the dark, some very creatively outrageous, and a lot usually derived from favorite cartoon, horror (hello, Freddie Krueger and Frankenstein), and sci-fi (this year, we may see a lot of Avatar denizens) movie characters.  We may see Harry Potter's enemy come alive; he's been seen in the preview clips of the first of the two final sequels that will be shown in December.  We think Obi Wan and Darth Vader will not be resurrected from the storage cabinet.

We had our first American Halloween party about 30 years ago in Daisy, TN when we trained at the Sequoyah nuclear power plant.  The rental shop ran out of costumes for three Pinoy souls, so we made our face up as an aswang or bloodsucker.

This year there would be a lot of zombies around the USA just like those who walked on major streets in key cities around the world a few days ago as part of a promotional gimmick for the "Walking Dead" sequel or movie. We guess some of them will look like Michael Jackson the zombie in his "Thriller" video many years ago.

Red Eye, Chicago, Il (29 October).

One prediction is that there would be plenty of Lady Gagas - real women and cross-dressers - just like the Madonnas and Marilyn Monroes we've come across in the Happenings before.

We don't see any reason to connect Halloween Night in Salem, MA aka 'The Witch City' with the 1692 witch trials.  There's a lot of hype on witches and witchcraft there, which really sells better than the cultural and historical treasures that abound all around.  There can be a balance though. One can take the Witch House and the Witch Museum for the fun side, and a walking tour of the McIntire District and the museums to savor the historical maritime and cultural heritage of the city.

The best way to enjoy this Salem night is to go early since traffic going there could come to a stand-still and parking could be difficult.  Without any stress at all, one can enjoy musing if they are really witches when they come down in parade, their faces aglow with the light of their burning candles.

For a history of the Haunted Happenings, this is a good read:  Forman, Ethan. (2010, October 25). How Haunted Happenings Bewitched the City of Salem.  Salem News Online at http://www.salemnews.com/local/x356200542/How-Haunted-Happenings-bewitched-the-city-of-Salem

29 October Issue

It's gonna be creepy but happy! It's how you'll make it so ...