By Kathleen M. Muldoon
Yvette Silver yvettesilver.com
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Every year when October and Halloween roll around, I get to thinking about masks and costumes in general. I’ve always loved dressing up in these, pretending I’m someone or something else. I wouldn’t want to always wear them, because I like myself just the way I am. So I masquerade only once in a while, just for the fun of it.
Early on, though, our ancestors who lived in caves wore masks for far more serious reasons, such as warfare and tribal initiations. Some primitive humans even wore fuller costumes, including masks painted like an animal and antlers tied on their heads. Hunters wore these. They thought that their disguises would fool their prey.
Through the centuries, masks became everything from sacred parts of religious ceremonies to objects of art. Ancient Greeks were the first to use masks and costumes in theater productions. In early America, masks had a more sinister use-outlaws and robbers wore them to avoid recognition during the commission of their crimes.
Today, Americans mainly wear masks during Halloween, for a celebration in New Orleans called “Mardi Gras,” and at masquerade balls-parties held just for the fun of it. But whether worn by us or our ancestors, masks basically serve two purposes: they either conceal the identity of the wearer or they protect the wearer.
For me and probably for most of you, masks don’t fully conceal our identity because our wheels or crutches give us away. This used to make me mad. Here I’d go through all the trouble of making a costume and mask (we never had the money to buy them), and as soon as I showed up, everyone knew who I was. The only time my wheels and crutches didn’t give me away was when I went to a party for other folks who used wheelchairs and crutches. I remember one such event where my boyfriend Paul and I won first place for most creative costumes. He went as Fred Flintstone and I dressed as his wife, Wilma.
The masquerade competition I most wanted to win, however, came one day at the clinic where I worked. The day before Halloween, the
doctors who owned the clinic announced to the employees that we could wear costumes and masks to work the next day and that they would serve as judges to choose “best costume.” The winner would get a day off work and a $50 gift certificate to the mall.
When I got home from work, I had little time to make a costume. I couldn’t even think of one! Since a mask wouldn’t conceal my identity anyway (I was the only one who worked there who walked with crutches), I decided to just wear some kind of costume. I looked through my closet and dresser drawers. Nothing. Then I glanced at my bed. Sheets! But a ghost would be too boring. I thought back to my childhood and immediately got a mental image of my teachers-they were nuns! Back then, they wore long black or white dresses and covered their heads with veils.
In the morning, I arrived at work swathed in white-my pillowcase made a great veil. For a touch of humor, I had changed my identity by wearing a name tag on my long white sheet “dress”-Sister Mattress of the Holy Springs.
What a fun day we had. Then right before dismissal, we gathered in the lunch room. The head doctor announced that they been unable to decide one grand winner and would therefore award two $50 certificates-one to my boss, Sophie, and the other to Sister Mattress of the Holy Springs.
Do you like to masquerade-just for the fun of it? What is the absolute best mask or costume you’ve ever worn? Other Action readers would like to hear about it. E-mail a description of your favorite disguise to action@unitedspinal.org or mail it to:
KIDS IN ACTION
United Spinal Association
75-20 Astoria Boulevard
Jackson Heights, NY 11370-1177
Happy Halloween!
Kathleen M. Muldoon is a children’s book author and writing instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.
