Hallowe'en Barbie

Hallowe'en is a minor festival in Canada;  I say minor because it is not a statutory holiday.  Otherwise, it is a full-fledged celebration with special decorations, traditional food (if popcorn balls and candy apples can be called food) and elaborately planned parties.

The origins of Hallowe'en are found deep in antiquity in the Celtic festival Samhain.  It was believed that the veil between the living world and the world of the dead was thinnest at summer's end making it possible for the dead to walk among us.  If one met you and you did not treat them well, you would be sorry.  (Trick or Treat!)  A disguise would serve to protect you from malevolent ancestors with a grudge.

Orange and black feature heavily: black cats, orange pumpkins carved with scary faces, old crones dressed in black, inky shadows, the glow of the autumn moon and the flames of candles.

Barbie is going to a  Hallowe'en fancy dress party in her beautiful orange and silver gown.  Note the very trendy short underskirt and the towering hair style.  Barbie does not need to hide from ghosts.  She likes the attention.

Hoop Dancer Barbie

I visited the Victoria Island attraction, Aboriginal Experiences, with a school group.  The best part of a very interesting afternoon was the performance by a very accomplished hoop dancer. This is not the hula hoop of the 50's craze or the wooden hoop you may have used in gym class.  This is not the hoop and stick small children used to play with either.

Modern hoop dancers use willow hoops to represent aspects of nature such as animals, birds, the sun and the moon.  Tony White Cloud, the father of modern hoop dancing, used 5 hoops but at the annual competition in Phoenix, Arizona dancers use 24 or possibly more.

This dance is not often seen at traditional powwows but is saved for events attended by non-natives.  Le Cirque de Soleil show Totem features it.  Barbie's outfit is more Cirque than traditional native dress and her hoops are metal not willow but you should see her dance with them!