Halloween in Salem

Halloween is Big Business in Salem.  Despite the fact that the whole point of the Salem Witch Trials is that the accused people weren't witches; despite the fact that every single person who was actually tortured and hanged for witchcraft maintained their innocence until the end (And the fact that none of the few people who confessed- under torture- to being witches were hanged.), Salem seems to be the world epicenter of modern witches. Or at least witches whose knowledge of history is a bit vague.

Today, Salem delights in the nickname 'Witch City.' The town is full of Goths, Wiccans and costumed role-players who stroll the streets waiting for tourists to take their pictures.  It's also full of businesses who make a living off 'witchcraft,' psychic readings, tarot readings, spell shops etc.  Halloween is, naturally, the focus of the Salem witch year, when Haunted Happenings... ummmm... happens. You are probably asking yourself- 'What is (or are) Haunted Happenings.'  Well, it is (or are) 5 weeks of various events, culminating in Halloween Hell.  Locals avoid Salem like the plague during these weeks.  On the night itself, you could not pay me to go there.  However,  we did go to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem a week before Halloween and  here are some pictures taken outside the museum.

They are pretty self-explanatory except that the tall brown witch is a 'living statue'.  She just stands there perfectly still,  making you think she is a statue, then she moves slowly and it's a little creepy. The first time I walked by her she winked at me.  It is kind of cool.