When I was a child in the New Orleans area, my big brown eyes would be popping at Halloween time with vivid images, shapes, characters and colors designed to capture the imagination and transport one into another sense of reality. I recall scary voodoo zombies regaling the windows of storefronts, Halloween jesters staring out from behind curtains, expressive uses of masks with a French or Creole twist, and these visuals combined with music and food would be a fun, frightening feast for the senses.
Now that we’ve moved into the Northeast and times have changed, Halloween has become more demure and conservative, and in many ways around our neighborhood, barely noticeable. Parents have become spooked themselves about having their children running around trick-or-treating, and small parties – tightly-controlled – have replaced the traditional community experience of Halloween. I can understand why that’s happened, but it doesn’t prevent me from trying to bring some of that old New Orleans spirit to my adopted hometown; in fact, it inspires me to share some ideas. I’d like to share these 5 with you.
1. Curtains – the Blacker,...