Several years ago
while studying in Granada, Spain, I had a good friend and fellow American
invite me to a pueblo outside of Madrid called Aranjuez. I was given advance notice that there might be
a Halloween party and to bring whatever I could dig up that could pass as a
costume “just in case”, with the disclaimer that Halloween was not as ardently
celebrated in Spain as I was accustomed to. As a person that takes pride in the creativity
and attention-to-detail of developing a clever costume each year, I was feeling
ill-equipped to construct a neck-turning ensemble. Eventually, I convinced myself I was not going
to be facing stiff competition and that “any old thing will do.” I grabbed a
western-style pearl-snap shirt I had in my closet, a pair of blue jeans and
decided I’d be a boring old cowboy.
Lastly, I borrowed a not-so-cowboy looking hat (more safari style) to
complete the look.
Beautiful
Aranjuez, located about 26 miles south of Madrid is filled with fountains,
gardens, and friendly Spaniards. Unlike
most of the other cities and towns I had traveled to in Spain, this was not a
student/tourist hub. My friend whom I
was visiting was the only other non-native speaker I encountered during my
stay. Upon my arrival it was confirmed
that we would indeed be attending a Halloween party, but that it was not likely
that everyone attending would be in costume and that even my quasi-cowboy
outfit would be a good model for the novice attendees. Long story-short... I had the lamest costume
in the place. While we were accurate in
assessing the newness of Halloween as a celebrated event, we misconceived the locals’
ability to ‘suit up and show up’ in a big way.
From witches to ghosts, flamenco dancers and matadors, the crowd was
dressed in elaborate costumes and jubilant in exchanging compliments to one
another. I myself was very impressed and
humbled, and had an experience that I will never forget. One thing I must mention: At one point in the
evening, to my dismay, I found myself standing face to face with a local
Spaniard staring me down as a real, rugged, authentic…. cowboy.
