7 days until Halloween countdown –
As I described in my last blog post 9 days Until Halloween: The Reason We Celebrate Halloween , I explained how the names and practices of the holiday differ from culture to culture but the significance of Halloween shares a similar symbolic meaning, that is – there are seemingly contrasting forces existing simultaneously and therefore, not everything we see is all that appears to be.
This is where the idea of costumes come into play. While the practices of these cultures vary, one of the most well-loved is playing dress-up and becoming anyone or anything you want for one night. Expanding on this idea of being veiled under a cloak of illusion while still existing beneath it and especially if we want to be original but are stumped for ideas – a great costume idea is to think of the things that you keep (or at least try) to keep behind your day to day cloak.
What are some of the things you keep hidden? What are some of thing others keep hidden about you? What are some of the things you rarely show others? What are some of the personalities or stereotypes that you think or feel you exemplify sometimes through thought, words and actions but don’t look like appearance wise on a regular basis? What are some of the personalities or stereotypes that others think or feel they exemplify sometimes through thought, words and actions but don’t look like appearance wise on a regular basis? To simplify things, you can even think of it as your “alter ego,” or one of the many hats you wear or one of the many roles you play.
For example, a friend of mine from college is a professional photographer with a degree in fine arts, she has been thriving in Brooklyn and Manhattan NYC since graduation, she is well spoken, well educated and dresses to the nines – important to note she is about 5’1 tall, has dark brown eyes and very thick and curly brown hair. However, when she gets a few drinks in her, the tone of her voice rises in pitch, the rhythm of her speech changes, she misplaces her keys and phone, she gets a lot more flirtatious and bubbly – what darker side costume did she chose?
Well, her costume consisted of a long and luscious blonde wig, a low cut shirt showing off her cleavage and a lot of heavy makeup but the touch that helped to reveal the deal- she wore beer goggle glasses – you the know the ones, you can get them from a party store for a bachelor party- the sunglasses with two beer mugs for lenses. The costume was easy and inexpensive to make, personalized, creative and shined a light on that which may be hidden and allowed others to come up with their interpretation. Just based on this description and the little I revealed about her, what would you say she went as, if you had to come up with a term?
Some could say she went as a “dumb blonde” or a “dumb bro” or a “Ditz” or a “Bimbo” or a “Drunk Girl” but when asked what she was “supposed to be” that night, she actually referred to herself as a “blonde bombshell” which when looking at the meaning behind the terms is an entirely different way of viewing herself, my point is – same costume, different perspectives.
Be the side you want to portray that night, embrace stereotypes if only to reveal others truth, dark does not always mean bad and bad doesn’t always mean evil, its fun to display a part of your character that is usually kept out of sight but don’t expect everyone to get it – its for you to know and for them to think about!
