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Two young Mexican women celebrate 'Dia de los Muertos'. |
Have Plainfield's Halloween celebrations crossed the Rubicon?
The Rubicon, as you may recall from Latin 1 or World History, was the shallow river near Ravenna in Italy which Julius Caesar crossed with his troops in 49 BC, starting the Roman Civil War. (The stream was the northern boundary of Roman Italy and he had been forbidden to cross it.)
The moment was a game changer for Rome and its future. Surprisingly, the Rubicon looks quite similar to the Green Brook where it flows through Green Brook Park. (National Geographic has a fascinating story about it and Caesar here.)
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The Rubicon in winter looks similar to the Green Brook. |
And I'm suggesting that Halloween celebrations in Plainfield have changed dramatically and will never again be like the old days.
In the old days (when I grew up), Halloween was for kids and it was a neighborhood affair. Kids dressed in costume and went from house to house in the neighborhood 'trick or treating' to get bags full of candy and sweets from homeowners.
When we moved to Plainfield 37 years ago, there were hordes of kids ringing our bell every year. Then about ten years ago, the visits dwindled and within a year or two vanished altogether. This notwithstanding that we live across from a sizable apartment complex with tons of children.
Several years ago, I noticed that on Halloween -- late afternoon and into the evening -- many Hispanic families could be seen parading up and down Front Street. The kids were in costume, as were many of the adults. And they were 'trick or treating' the merchants on Front Street and nearby.
Observers (see here, and here) have pointed out that Mexicans and Mexican-Americans have adapted Halloween and their traditional 'Dia de los Muertos' (Day of the Dead) which follows on November 2 into a multi-day celebration.
Is that what is happening in Plainfield? Perhaps, but we have a large number of residents from other Central and South American countries, which do not observe 'Dia de los Muertos'.
What I thinks marks the 'Rubicon' or turning point is that this year -- for the first time -- I saw police officers at the intersections of Park Avenue, Watchung Avenue, and Roosevelt Avenue, guaranteeing the safety of costumed kids and families who were crossing the street with abandon.
I first saw this about 6:00 PM when I was coming up on Roosevelt after shopping at Supremo supermarket. Dark and rainy, I wondered what a guy was doing wandering around in the intersection as I approached from a distance. As I got closer, I saw in small print on the back of his shirt 'POLICE' and that he held a flashlight to help emphasize his presence.
It was the first time I had ever seen the police deployed in this manner.
When I came back down Front Street shortly after 8:00 PM after picking up a prescription, the police had vanished.
The department is to be commended for watching the intersections during the busiest part of the festivities. But I think if they had worn reflective vests or their brilliant orange rain gear it would have been easier for drivers to understand what was going on.
I am assured by some readers that neighborhood 'trick or treating' has not gone away altogether, but my guess is we are witnessing a tidal shift in how Halloweens will come to be observed in Plainfield going forward.
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