Dress Up Season is Just Around the Corner

SKYLARK'S ARTICLE OF THE WEEK - DRESS UP SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

I love the holidays. It's a reason to dress up! I've always loved a good party. I've had many in my Brooklyn apartment. Friends came no matter the weather. Even in an ice storm. Those parties were epic. They are now legendary.

A holiday party is the perfect blend of fun and abandon. It's a time to let go of the day-to-day grind and release your emotions. It's a time to eat good food, listen to great music, and dance. And it's a time to put on fancy threads. 

If you're like me, you're starting to think about your Halloween costume. I have lots of masks. This year, I'm wearing one from New Orleans. It has a big red feather with a bright pink flower. One of my sisters gave it to me. It's the perfect accessory to my classic red velvet cape. I love Halloween.

In late nineteenth century New York, costume parties were popular amongst the affluent. Costumes were typically historical European aristocracy. Authenticity was important, even extending to using actual period elements. For example, Cornelia Bradley-Martin attended her own party, the notorious Bradley-Martin Ball, dressed as Marie Antoinette, wearing jewelry actually owned and worn by Antoinette herself. 

The Bradley-Martin Ball was a lavish costume ball at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City on the night of February 10, 1897. Eight hundred socialites spent about $400,000 imitating kings and queens. Bradley-Martin's stated intention was to create an economic stimulus for New York City, which was at the end of the Long Depression which began in 1873 and included the Panic of 1893. The Bradley-Martins spent approximately $9.7 million in today's money to throw the ball. Across the country, preachers and editorial writers argued over the propriety of a party that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the end, the ball was a social triumph but created negative publicity. Isn't that always the case? 

The choice of aristocratic costume allowed rich Americans, with relatively limited family history, to assume some element of history and legitimacy. This coincides with the celebration of Halloween in the United States during the late nineteenth century. As a reaction to Halloween pranks and vandalism brought to the country by Celtic immigrants, women's magazines introduced a new, middle-class rendition of the holiday that would come to assert women as the dominant celebrants of Halloween throughout the coming decades. It sought to enforce the ideals of white Anglo-Saxon Protestants by encouraging young people to partake in tame, preferably indoor, activities instead, often with a focus on romance. While the middle and upper classes shifted their Halloween celebrations toward these new activities, including costume parties, the poor and immigrant populations of the United States continued to celebrate in the ways that they always had, demonstrating the effect that class differences had on costume parties during this time. Ah, the class wars. Some things never change.

Bradley-Martin Ball by Harry Whitney McVickar

Meanwhile, across the pond, the origins of fancy dress parties in the United Kingdom can in some respects be traced to masked balls of the 18th century period. In the period to 1850, fancy dress balls were a typical part of the social life of music festivals. Common costumes of the period were specific historical characters, generic historical or regional clothing, abstract concepts (such as "winter", "starlight" or "night"), and objects (such as "champagne bottle" or "aquarium"). Popular characters included Marie Antoinette and Elizabeth I for women and Napoleon and Robin Hood for men. Now, we dress up as Super Heros. 

Manchester fancy dress ball of 1828, painting by Arthur Perigal

Halloween is the most popular costume or event of the year in English-speaking countries. Centuries ago, the Celts believed that on October 31 the line between the living and the dead became distorted and condemned souls would come back to wreak havoc for the night. In defense, the Celts would dress up in ghoulish costumes to scare evil spirits away. 

And let's not forget pumpkin carving. This tradition dates back to the 18th century in Ireland. It's rooted in a myth about Stingy Jack, a blacksmith by trade, who made a deal with the devil and tricked him into not taking his soul upon death. In Ireland, people started to carve demonic faces out of turnips to frighten away Jack's wandering soul. When Irish immigrants moved to the United States, they began carving Jack-O-Lanterns from pumpkins, as these were native to the regions. Ah, the luck of the Irish.

Whatever the reason for dressing up on Halloween, it's a tradition that has stood the test of time. You can dress up in your favorite character and step out of your own life for an evening. Make sure to take a drive or walk around your neighborhood to see the Halloween decorations that are popping up everywhere. Some of them are pretty spectacular! Whatever you choose to be this Halloween, have fun with it. Get creative. One of the best parts of this holiday is putting together your costume. Dolcetto o scherzetto! Trick or Treat!

Peace and Love,

Skylark

At 60 and Beyond, making your own costume is a cool thing to do. 

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SKYLARK'S PICK OF THE WEEK - GATEWAY HAUNTED PLAYHOUSE IN BELLPORT, LONG ISLAND

The Gateway’s almost 200-year-old estate provides the perfect setting for the scariest haunted playhouse of around. You won't want to miss this Halloween classic. Visit www.gatewayshauntedplayhouse.com.

SKYLARK'S HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK - TRUMP WORKS AT MCDONALD'S

SKYLARK'S INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

SKYLARK'S PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Dear God,

As Halloween approaches, please protect all of the children and adults who will venture out to trick-or-treat. Amen.

SKYLARK'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What will you do to celebrate Halloween?

Please put your answer in the Reply bubble below next to the Heart. I'd love to hear from you.

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SKYLARK'S SONG OF THE WEEK - SPOOKY by CLASSICS IV

LYRICS

In the cool of the evenin' when eveythin' is gettin' kind of groovy
I call you up and ask you if you'd like to go with me and see a movie
First you say "No", you've got some plans for the night
And then you stop, and say, "All right"
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you
You always keep me guessin'
I never seem to know what you are thinkin'
And if a fella looks at you, it's for sure your little eye will be a-winkin'
I get confused, 'cause I don't know where I stand
And then you smile, and hold my hand
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you
Spooky!
If you decide someday to stop this little game that you are playin'
I'm gonna tell you all that my heart's been a-dyin' to be sayin'
Just like a ghost, you've been a-hauntin' my dreams
So, I'll propose on Halloween
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you
Spooky! Spooky, oh all right
I said spooky, oh yeah-yeah
I said spooky, yeah, yeah, yeah

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My Brand - Skylark Live - 60 and Beyond with Skylark was born out of my turning 60 and noticing a profound shift in this age. I wanted to talk about it and share what I was experiencing with the hope of helping other women as well. My brand consists of a weekly newsletter and a monthly vlog designed to motivate and inspire women over 60 to thrive in mature ageing through knowledge and self-awareness. One day, I'd like to conduct in-person conversations called The Skylark Sessions. These can be held in someone’s home or at a local library or senior center. Stay tuned.

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