Caribbean Life, Oct. 2-8, 2020 11
Instead of going door to
door with intentions of scaring
anyone and everyone
with a surprise shout out —
‘boo!’— ghosts, ghouls, and
goblins are already tearfully
boo-hoo-ing the prospect of a
virtual Halloween celebration
sanctioned by Mayor Bill de
Blasio on the last day of the
month.
As a cautionary measure
to tame the coronavirus, the
city’s number one citizen
bypassed pleas to slam the
door shut on any public revelry
related to celebration of
All Hallows Eve.
The decision prohibits
adults and youths from stopping
into stores and businesses
to collect candy and other
treats, parade in large numbers
the devilish, and angelic
characters and at last report
he put the brakes on costume
parties with more than a limited
number of guests.
Forced into hiatus until perhaps
2021, the annual is not
cancelled but will be substituted
by a virtual feature.
Like apple picking, the St.
Patrick’s Day, West Indian
American Day Parade, the
BOO! to virtual halloween
Panamanian Day, Pride, Puerto
Rican, Thanksgiving Day
Parade and the New Year’s Eve
ball drop from Times Square,
all are casualties of COVID-19.
After lamenting the restrictions,
fans of the biggest costume
party in America are
now virtually pre-occupied
with providing alternative recreational
methods to mark the
Saturday date.
With coronavirus numbers
spiking in some sections of
Brooklyn and throughout the
nation, the preventive measure
seems to be a welcomed
decision to stave off increased
upticks, a second wave of the
COVID-19 pandemic and perhaps
collision with the winter
flu season.
The calendar date would
have been the ideal day to venture
out for a weekend of dusk
to dawn mask balls.
The Greenwich Village spectacle
through the streets might
have provided a pre-election
parody of candidates contending
the Nov. 3 election.
Boo! or boohoo, one of the
organizers reached out to
insiders to explain the theme
of the 47th annual.
“BIG LOVE! BIG EMBRACE!”
was organized to “include all
New Yorkers in a joyful celebration
of our unique collective
imagination,” Jeanne
Fleming, artistic director of
the Village Halloween Parade
said.
“The Halloween Parade is all
about the connection between
the participants — all those
who walk in the Parade in costume
— and our audience (the
rest of New York!). That person
to person connection is at the
heart of this event. We do not
want to lose all of this joyful
time, this irrepressible spirit of
NYC and the marvelous creative
folks who make up the
Parade and the joyful souls
who watch and play.”
In extolling the tradition
of the annual she borrowed a
quote from a prominent newspaper
which explained that
“the Halloween Parade is the
best entertainment that the
people of this city give to people
of this city.”
“As we considered doing
‘something’ online this year
as place holder, we felt that
idea would have been the best
ever.”
Some have declared they
will wear a hazmat to costume
COVID-19 2020.
Daring celebrants might
have to substitute portrayals
of first-lady Melania Trump,
former Vice President Joe
Biden, Vice Presidential candidate
Senator Kamala Harris,
President Donald Trump as
well as those wanting to pay
homage to Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg.
For sure savvy influencers
will find ways to innovatively
parody social media
wizen Kim Kardashian, pop
star Rihanna, media mogul
Oprah Winfrey and even Russian
leader Vladimir Putin.
There is no reason this
year’s Halloween celebration
will fall short of the usual
scare fest. The virtual treat
might prove to be the safest.
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