Crowded streets, crowded beaches. Bars and pubs full. Could it be that Halloween is rising from the ashes? Certainly not. The estimate that one in ten people would be in costume held true. Of those in costume, few had donned anything elaborate: just a simple witch’s hat with black clothes. Others made do with just wearing black as their simple Halloween effort.
It’s noticeable that groups of friends who dress up, the larger the group, the more elaborate the costumes… It turns into a sort of emulation, a friendly competition to crown the most horrific outfit.
Some costumes have nothing to do with October 31: sombreros, harlequins, clowns, vibrant colors… This celebration is transforming, and Halloween thus takes on aspects of the Nice Carnival, right in the middle of autumn.
Saturday night fever takes over the pubs, bodies sway, men and women move as if enchanted. Far from the grim Halloween, the spirits of clubbers from the French Riviera haunt this evening. The original themes have become mere gadgets or simple decor.
What if Nice were to become carnival-like all year round, a city of celebrations and joy?
Some testimonials gathered around the Palace of Justice on Monday evening:
Michelle and Patrick (a couple from Nice, 43 and 41 years old, not in costume): “We don’t work tomorrow, nothing interesting on TV, our sons are out, so we decided to come for a walk. Halloween or not, it’s all the same to us. We’re going to sit at a table around the Palace of Justice. We’ll observe, from a distance, the extravagances of this celebration.”
Yoann and Clémence (young lovers, 20 and 18 years old, not in costume): “After dinner, we wanted to get some fresh air. We do this often until the weather no longer allows it. We will walk in Old Nice and then on the Promenade. Halloween? We are indifferent to it. The streets are more lively. That’s great!”
Benedicte, Laetitia, Stephanie, Samia, Ludovic, Nicolas, Karim (friends between 21 and 23 years old, very much in costume): “Five years ago, when we were very young, Halloween was one of our first outings together. We dressed up and have kept up this tradition ever since. It’s a chance to party all together. All that’s left is to pray that a pub will let us in!”
Vincent Trinquat
