The Art of Halloween

Here I am ready for a favorite holiday, Halloween. I love this time of year, the fall, and the excitement and fun of seeing how others invent themselves for this most ancient of occasions.                                                                This is not a new holiday. Some say it really hearkens back to the ancient Celtic harvest festival of Samhain. Carried forward to the he Christian observance  of All Hollowtide,which  starts on October 31st, with a three day observance dedicated to remembering the dead. This includes the saints, or hallows, martyrs, and the faithfully departed. In the 16th century, there was the custom of   going house to house in costume. The crved pumpkin would represent the souls of the dead This was brought to the new world by the Irish and Scottish immigrants.                                                                            I love the style of the Mexican observance, Dia de Muertas. I have been in Mexico at this time before and  found it to be very ancient in feeling. Everyone goes out to the graveyards in a  processions led by the priest. There was a even a really awful band . I remember in one very small pueblo, I was next the a grave and saw some bones sticking out. Death is not so very far away.                                                                My face is my canvas this year. First came the white face paint; then the black; then the color.  I am grateful for Adrienne's help in show me the path in this new media. I took this experience back  and was able to draw on my friend's face for the evening .As I looked around the room, I felt my canvas was one of the better, and I was immortalized by wandering photographers. But they never knew who I was, did they? Masks hide all.