You Know It’s a Big Deal When It Becomes a Halloween Costume

Question: When do you know that something is important to American students?

Answer: When it becomes a Halloween costume.

I will just note the most popular costumes I noticed around Boston University this Halloween and will leave to you to comment on the trends and their significance:

1) The 1% – groups of students dressed in (sexy) business attire with “1%” and “Occupy Wall Street” signs in their hands

2) Gaddafi – costumes of the former Libyan leader, with or without blood stains (not sexy)

3) Steve Jobs – a balding old man with an Apple logo on his chest holding a laptop made out of cardboard (not particularly sexy)

4) Black Swan and White Swan – usually two girls dressed like the main character/s from the blockbuster ballet thriller (very sexy)

5) Angry Birds – people dressed in big round costumes like the cartoon characters from the popular game (anti-sexy)

And what were you for Halloween?

This is my Halloween 2010 recap. What’s yours?

1. Persuade Bulgarian friends to celebrate Halloween – FAIL

Reason: To them, it’s a crazy, senseless masquerade and just another reason for girls to dress slutty and for guys to drink beer… where did they get that idea from?

2. Persuade American friends to visit Salem, MA (origin of the witch hysteria) for Halloween – FAIL

Reason: Not worth the effort, especially since there are plenty of frat parties around

3. Buy a costume from costume store (Garment District in Cambridge, MA) on Oct.30^th– FAIL

Reason: Everything is too expensive ($100 for an Avatar blue latex costume)

4. Make my costume/make-up myself – QUESTIONABLE

Reason: No one was sure if I was a ventriloquist doll, an harlequin, a big baby, or an outright clown… oh well…

5. Enter a club on Halloween – QUESTIONABLE

Reason: The tight mob was pressing at the doors of the club, the bouncers were taking their sweet time letting people in  although the club itself was empty, guys were climbing on top of parked cars in order to cut in line, and a girl had a stroke of panic because she was pushed around and almost suffocated

6. See a costume competition in a club – QUESTIONABLE

Reason: It turns out, being creative or funny in your costume choice so last-year. Being Katy Perry in her whipped-cream-bra-and-blue-wig costume or Lady GaGa in her swimsuit-like costumes is in!

7. Watching the Boston Halloween Bike Ride – SUCCESS!

Reason: I watched at least a hundred enthusiasts who had dressed up themselves and their bikes coming from Cambridge, through Boston, and down Brookline. Next year, I’m in with you!

8. Eat candy/drink pumpkin spice latte – SUCCESS

… the things we do to avoid getting “tricked”

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If you want to see some really scary and beautiful costumes, take a look at my previous blog entry about the traditional Bulgarian monster costumes kukeri, compared to some beautiful carnival costumes from the Bahamas.