Seville is the land of Don Juan. Yes, its streets are the setting for Zorrilla’s famous play about that impossible love between this quintessential gallant and Doña Inés, which (no spoilers – if there are still any left) ends in chaos. However, this is not an obstacle for the city to be filled, as it is almost a tradition, with pumpkins, monsters, vampires, witches… thanks to the agreement made by hoteliers, shopkeepers, and every Sevillian who wants to do business with the famous American celebration. School parties, some neighborhood activities, and fully adapted television programming make it impossible to escape a Halloween that encompasses more and more sectors each year. In addition to the traditional costume parties in clubs and bars, bakeries are increasingly adding the famous cupcakes and donuts with spider web designs, mummies, bats… Even the most traditional ones, although they still keep the traditional “huesos de santo” or “buñuelos de viento,” cannot resist including pumpkin-shaped candy or chocolate lollipops shaped like ghosts in their displays. These days, the blood of Christ, so typical of Garlochí, pales in comparison to the menus prepared by bars and restaurants in the city that join the horror wave, adapting their dishes with names alluding to the celebration, that is, pure marketing to take advantage of the trend. Establishments that join some American food chains like Tommy Mel’s or Fosters Hollywood that already showcase their scariest outfits and will celebrate all kinds of contests on Friday.
Undoubtedly, costume stores are the ones that join this celebration with the greatest expectation. It is, after all, the second strongest season after Carnival, although “the average expenditure this year is around 15-20 euros. It is not much higher than last year because people are still looking for affordable options,” says David Díaz, manager at La Casa de los Disfraces. “Most people still leave their purchases for the last minute when they decide to go to a party,” he adds. For adults, besides the return of shocking masks, the sale of costumes related to characters made famous by the film industry continues. “Although witches and vampires never go out of style,” says Díaz. And for the little ones, girls choose Monster High, “although slightly less than in other years,” and the corpse bride; and boys go for skeletons and death-related costumes. “It seems like it’s ingrained in their memory,” he points out.
But the world of costumes does not end there. In addition to erotic stores that take advantage of the occasion to sell suggestive models, this year there are even those who buy costumes in dollar stores… for their pets. Thus, it is likely that we will see dogs dressed as Spiderman or Superman matching with their owners this year.
A different party. If from 9:30 p.m. someone finds vampires or zombies skating through the city center, don’t be alarmed. Sevilla Patina proposes a tour of the city from a different perspective. The initiative, open to skaters of all ages, will begin at Puerta Jerez at 9:30 p.m. and plans to join more roller groups, who also do routes that day, to all finish together (when the younger ones have gone to bed) at some pub or nightclub where access with skates is allowed.
And indeed, Halloween can be experienced in different ways. One of them is the proposal made by La Judería de Sevilla (www.juderiadesevilla.com), which is set to discover for attendees its route Las almas de Sevilla, the hidden mysteries, haunted places, and spirits that wander the streets of the city. Art historian Manuel Jesús Molina will unravel, starting at 9 p.m., the horror stories that should never have happened and that repeat themselves every night along a tour of haunted houses inhabited by strange beings, where events occur that have no rational explanation.
The saying If you can’t beat them, join them is what some bookstores in Seville have thought, where you can see horror-themed books displayed with the classic decorations of the party. “Against candies and costumes, you can’t compete,” says Esperanza Alcaide, owner of Gusanito Lector, where, this Friday at 6:00 p.m., they have scheduled an outing with children, “disguised, of course,” but with the idea of “taking advantage of the excuse of a trick-or-treat evening” to take a walk around the neighborhood and introduce the shopkeepers of the area, “something that used to be unnecessary because children played in the streets.”
Flamenco and Art. Proof that this party is becoming more popular is that the Museo del Baile Flamenco turns into a haunted passage for one night. A charming space, an 18th-century building transforms into an underworld where characters from beyond the grave will coexist with Sevillians and visitors who want to join the experience. Something similar is expected at La Casa Tomada. Ángeles Fernández and Marcos Flecha will tell, starting at 9 p.m., stories of the dead, apparitions, and other adorable beings of darkness in Todos tus muertos. Art lovers have an interesting proposal at Delimbo Gallery. This space in La Alfalfa displays until January the exhibition Hell’O Monsters. A project by three young Belgians on recurring themes such as death, hope, failure, optimism, frivolity, various phenomena, existential echoes, and humor, staged by a highly diversified cast of creatures, animals, and skeletons, well worth a visit to end a Friday full of fear.
