Sunday, October 28, 2007

Trying to get in or out?

One of the many artistic gravesites in Paris' Cimitiere du Pere Lachaise. If you browsed the CDPBs on October 1 theme day, you might have seen some of the more famous graves like Jim Morrison or Chopin. The combination of eeriness and pathos caught our eye on this grave.


In yesterday's comments, JoAnn asked what fascinates us about Halloween and all the scary imagery. For me, it's a couple of things. First, I think that making fun of scary things makes them a bit less scary. Some cultures even celebrate death (in the states, we learn a lot about the Dia De Los Muertos celebrations in Mexico). Second, there's a bit of a rush to being scared. Third, it's just plain fun when you're a kid and you get to dress up, go trick-or-treating, get loads of candy, and get sick eating said candy. Fourth, even adults celebrate ... we were woken up at 5:30AM this morning with a phone call from our friends at their annual Halloween bash (thanks alot, Bob, Lynn, Joan & Jim). Anyway, we do miss the Halloween celebrations.

BTW, here's a fuller, color shot of the gravesite. I don't know why, but I prefer b/w for many of these "grave" photos.


5 comments:

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Haahahaha :)

Thanks R&R for explaining me the meaning of your HALOWEEN,
Well OK this story of yours explaines the meaning better to me , but still too scary (for me)with a deathhead uurrghh, but it has to be funny:)

Here in Holland we have (NOT scary but only for childsfun) the following parties:

* "ST.MAARTEN", somewhere in November, little children-groups are going dressed up , from door to door, with "selfmade" candlelights ( also called Lampions), they sing a "Sint Maarten-song at the door, and you're suppose to give them fruit or candies... ( they do this now only in little villages as an old tradition)

* "LUILAK" (translation; lazy person), this is making a VERY LOUD NOISE as early in the morning as possible, best around 2.00- 3.00 AM, just for fun, to tease(read for fun) people, this is in spring (also in small cities still done, and only in little villages, again an old tradition)

* "SINTERKLAAS with his black PIETEN" (evry year december 5th is "st Nicolaas" his birthday)A VERY OLD man with a long white beard and, dressed with a long RED and golden-sides cape, white gloves. SINT is coming "originally" from Spain (in the story of course) , he is coming always by boat...
Once when he is arrived in Holland, he is travelling by white horse, at night over the roofs,
His helpers are the black Piets ( black people , no meaning just a tradition),

children are weeks before VERY nervous, for this SINT-man, and parents make children believe that , "if they weren't sweet last year, they have to go with the "SINT" back to Spain, The Black PIETEN pick up the not sweet children and put them into the SACK. BUT the children were always sweet and they get many many presents, from "SINT" (their parents.

Hope you enjoy reading this too, have agreat weekend:)

JoAnn:)

Steve Buser said...

What an interesting statue. Very unique.

--steve buser
New Orleans Daily Photo

Neva said...

What interesting traditions, joanne....R&R....very articulate on the scarier points of Halloween...it is coming soon here ...we don't get but a handful of trick or treaters as the yards are too large for the little ones....Not enough of a chocolate/candy fix here...but if you come here..I pass out full size candy bars....makes it worth the trip....lol

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

You're right black and white pictures are the best for shivering.
I like very much your photos from Rouen. Some members of my family used to live there two centuries ago.
Thanks for tagging I'll try to cope with it.

Unknown said...

I found this fascinating and very very creepy.