Vive la Citrouille!
Every year I look forward to Halloween season. Which isn't to say that I prepare or go "all out" for Halloween season, because I certainly don't. Usually I'm in close enough proximity to friends who do go "all out." And then I can simply hop on their bandwagon, throw on a single article of clothing that constitutes a costume, and hang on for the ride.
This year I surprised myself with all the festivities I joined. First there was a Halloween-themed murder mystery party. This suited my criteria well because the character I was to play was bestowed upon me. "Creature from the Black Lagoon". Great! I didn't need to come up with that idea and sure, I can find some green and brown clothes to wear. 1
The murder mystery party was fun and I would recommend it to anyone presented with the opportunity. The structure of the game was a subtle but effective way of getting a room full of strangers talking, laughing, and scheming together.
Finally, in the first week of November, a local grassroots organization, Green Beverly, held their second annual Pumpkin Smash. It's a casual and family-friendly event, encouraging folks to bring their decomposing pumpkins to be smashed and composted.
Smashers have a variety of options for sacrificing their pumpkin, including a pumpkin trebuchet or a sharp wooden board. A fan favorite is the pumpkin guillotine. My house-mate and I noticed the phrase "Viva la Pumpkine" painted across the top of it. For the record, "pumpkine" doesn't translate to pumpkin in any language but Slovak from what I can tell. In French, long live the pumpkin translates to Vive la Citrouille.
Technically, I purchased this mask, too. I wore it on my face for maybe a total of 7 minutes.↩