Boo!

Yesterday was Halloween and there are few countries in the world where this is celebrated more enthusiastically than in the US. And in New Orleans, where little excuse is needed for a party atmosphere to develop and where the whole of the voodoo tradition permeates the city, the date takes on a completely new level of “party time”.  In fact, Halloween has been celebrated here since last week as it’s fallen on a weekday which means major parties and so forth took place last weekend. I had a niggling worry that that would mean that yesterday would be a bit of a letdown with the best events having already happened.

My beacon of hope that this might not be the case was linked to the invite to a party that I received from the tarot reader early on in my time here. He invited me to a famous shop here in the French quarter. This place is all about voodoo – sells spells, Gris Gris, dolls and other assorted items necessary to help mere mortals along. It is also a place which offers lectures on the subject and other spiritually related talks. When I received the invitation he told me that the party started around lunchtime and went on until around nine in the evening. He then paused and corrected himself by saying, “Well, it ends when the spirit that possesses a person in the party leaves them!” I tried to keep my eyebrows from rising too obviously at this statement 😉

So yesterday I headed out of Matchbox 3.0 around mid afternoon and walked towards the voodoo shop. As I got close to its doors I could see people milling on the street around it, standing, sitting on chairs as if ready for a performance and also sitting on the pavements eating and drinking. I took it as a good sign but I had a sense that something wasn’t quite right and I couldn’t place it, and, no, it wasn’t that I felt any spirits asking to take up residence! I walked on and then it hit me: it was really quiet! I mean, there must have been over two hundred people on the street in front of the door but there was no noise such as you’d expect when you put that many people together and certainly nowhere near enough noise if those people are in party mode.

Still, I went in and saw my tarot friend and we chatted and I got a drink. Apparently they were waiting for a sign (?) but no explanation was proffered to clarify that statement. This quiet lasted for a while but then music began to be played and the whole thing livened up considerably; I assumed the sign had been received but no one actually made a declaration to this effect. There were very few people in costume there which made me feel better because I wasn’t too sure what the protocol was here regarding dressing up so I erred on the side of caution and went as me which, as I commented to a friend, is scary enough (although while walking I did spot what could be a costume for the future!).  In between the music we also had some short talks and prayers and incantations which were interesting to witness.

After a few hours I moved away from Dumaine Street and headed into Jackson Square, specifically to Cafe du Monde for an intake of beignets.  In my investigating what Halloween events were programmed in the city centre I found that there was going to be a parade in the quarter so I recharged with my sugar laden treats before finding a spot from which to watch the floats go by.  By the time the sun went down even the weather was cooperating to create a spooky atmosphere with a humid haze falling over the square.  I chatted with people around me and watched the unique characters moving around the area.  Here I have to mention a guy who was pushing a difficult to describe musical installation which was enormous and from which only a syncopated and lonely single drumbeat was emitted.  And then, finally, music could be heard in the distance.

Soon after, in front of me, along Decatur Street came a motley, but inventively attired, assembly of people: from zombies to vampires to Santa (!) to a whole crowd dressed as something from a “Where’s Wally” (or Waldo here in the US) comic page.  Horse drawn carriages were laden with people dressed as creatures of the night and instead of sweets, which is what is usually given out in parades, they were dispensing beads to the crowd (well, it is New Orleans after all).

The best part of the parade was the music.  Whole groups of musicians carrying their instruments and joining in haphazardly with the brightest, loudest and happiest sound you can imagine making sure no feet were left standing still.  They managed to create a great atmosphere for the marchers and the spectators.

As the parade finished passing me by I turned and walked back into Bourbon Street.  By the time I got there the parade was in full swing there and if it had been busy and party central while on Decatur Street, on Bourbon that was ratcheted up many, many notches with the crowds dancing in the streets and jostling to get pictures.  It was incredible.  I made my way to what is probably one of the nicest bars in Bourbon, the Absinthe House, perched myself on a stool and ordered a drink.  The place was pretty packed and I happily sipped away, chatting to the people around me, remarkably impervious to the fact that they were vampires, warlocks, mad hatters and skeletons.

Who am I kidding?  In truth, in this regard, it felt like only a small step up from a regular night on Bourbon Street with a few folks just sporting makeup that was a little more out there than usual 😉

E x