HALLOWEEN IN A SMALL RURAL FRENCH VILLAGE. (Halloween 2006)

Member Name: thingywhatsit

Product:	Halloween 2006
Date:	15/10/06 (284 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good clean fun.

Disadvantages: Tend to get rather slewed !

Halloween was never celebrated here in this part of France, until recently, commerces realised the potential in selling costumes, and the food markets decided that Halloween merited special food and a tradition was created. The French love traditions and introducing yet another one was never a problem for them. School children here in France look forward to Halloween, and the pressure upon parents to buy them the latest costume really has started to be a worry. Gone are the home made costumes and in are the masks, witches hair, plastic incredible hulk outfits, and paints that glow in the night.

Last Halloween

The village marked the coming of Halloween with balloons in orange, and yellow, tied to lamp-posts along the main approach to the village, and pumpkins, hollowed out by the tiny hands of school children, the faces being cut by adults who are more adept with the knife, adorn the church walls, and the night of the Masked Ball is marked by the faces which illuminate the path to the village hall. It's party time, and as with many events here in a small village, the locals have learned to adapt an event to suit themselves.

The ghosts and witches seem to get smaller each year. Maywen was the youngest at 2 years old, dressed in the costume of a pixie, though I was never sure what the significance was. “The pixie serves the witches”, explained her sister, Audrey who was dressed to the nines as one of the wickedest witches in the village. Her hat was black and pointed, her face had been made up by an artist and was yellowy in colour and her eyes surrounded by black markings. Her robe touched the floor, and her brother, Marcel, stood behind her casting spells with a huge wand. “I shall turn her into a frog”, he said, which I thought was irony itself. His hat was bigger than that of his sister and sported huge stars, and he wore a white beard and a mischievous expression.

Marc arrived pissed and propped up the bar.

Maywen began to cry. Audrey got impatient and tugged at her hand in a witchy manner, so in keeping with the character she portrayed. Murielle dressed in black with skeleton bones all over the costume which lit up in the darkness, though her blonde hair spoiled the illusion. Giving up the witch illusion for a moment, Murielle found that bribery worked better and offered her sister a piece of dry baguette, which seemed to calm her.

There was to be a parade, and the children lined up ready to take their place before the impatient parents, who had dressed up in costume as well, though the Halloween theme was somehow escaped by many. Murielles' mother dressed as “Little Bow Peep”, and her father in traditional Breton Costume as he was playing in the Band. Mimi had decided that a cowboy hat and line dancing outfit was the order of the day and Eric had dressed as a policeman, though his drinking habits might have shocked the local constabulary.

Marc by this time was sitting propped up by a stool, knowing that his legs will fail him if he moves.

Music !

The lights went down, the curtains on the stage twitched, and a drum roll revealed the parade ! A ghost or two, maybe even three passed upon the stage, together with witches and wizards, skeletons and even a fairy with her paper skirt torn, and flowers in her hair. All around the hall, lights had been subdued as each child took their turn in explaining who they were. Parents clapped and drank, music played, and prizes were found for everyone that entered. Everyone clapped as Maywen stood silent next to her sister and got stage fright.

Then came the offering of sweets, and unlike the trick or treat habits of larger towns, here it is the children that walk around with baskets of sweets to offer to visitors, although magic spells soon made Marcel's sweet offerings disappear quicker than anyone elses.

Poems and songs.

When the children sang their Halloween songs, it was enchanting. It wasn't the fact that their harmonies were particularly good. It was the participation and the seriousness of each child trying their best. Some recited simple verse, some sang in small groups, and then food was served, and a hush fell over the village hall whilst Jacques looked for suitable music for during the meal and decided upon a mixture of Barry Manilow, Abba and Bee Gees.

Ladies that had worked all afternoon peeling potatoes and vegetables now served tables, as a feast was put before the guests of a “Pot au Feu”, or pot of fire, suitable to the occasion, and deliciously warming on an October's evening, the tables adorned with lanterns and pumpkins, and the atmosphere congenial.

At around 11.00 in the evening, the children were taken home weary, believing that those witches and wizards that stay awake beyond midnight would indeed be turned to stone. Tired ghosts with stained costumes, witches with crooked hats, and little Maywen (who by this time was too tired to cry), all took the road through the village towards their homes, ready to put the ghosts away for another year.

The pumpkins twinkling lights were all that was left of the Halloween evening, though what rested beyond the wall of the churchyard, only those brave enough to discover will ever know.

A bicycle sat in the middle of the village street, a haunting reminder never to drive whilst drunk. Marc managed to get a lift home, whilst his dog guarded the bike.

It's simple, it's safe (for the most part). It's Halloween how it is in this part of the world.

Kenavo

Rachel

Summary: Good family fun.