Quote Originally Posted by Pontius Pilate View Post
I was going to dress up as a Roman legionary, but real chain mail, and authentic helmet and swords are really expensive and I didn't want to just buy one of those cheap stereotipical Roman customes you can get at your local store. Anyway, Halloween is one of the best holidays here in America. You get to dress up as anything you want and get lots of candy. This whole Carnaval thing you guys are talking about doesn't seem too good to me. You Europeans are surely missing out on alot of stuff. Hey I never realized how many people there are, on these forums that aren't from U.S.
I feel you mean. Good accurate costumes are hard and expensive. When I started doing mines they were just a few black rags with black jeans and cloack (no hood), black face paint and I went as a type of Sweboz unit. Last year I upped the anti by going as a Botroa, I had to make a shield. Now I upped it once more by making a sword, small armor plate, tunic, and helmet (and another shield).

For a Roman with mail, you have major 2 issues. 1st finding mail, or something that passes as mail (like a thick shiny shirt), or you could take a shirt and glue/sowe a thin layer of metal mesh of somekind. The shield is the hardest part because it has to be curved. And making that takes some time, there are instructions on how to do it in the RomanArmy.com forums (Romanarmytalk). It thats too much work then just leave it straight.

Another big issue with shields that avoid is making a real handle. Normally shilds (not the hoplite, aspis, shield) like the Roman, Gallic, etc, type have a whole in the center and the handle is IN that whole. The shield boss covers the whole. This gives the user greater control.
--I don't do this, too much work. I just make a handle with wood and screw it to the shield, the boss is just aluminum foil held in place by glue/nails/push-pins.

I'll post a pic of the handle when I get home.
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Carnivals, I think in South America and the Caribean a similar parade type event is done. But I don't know the time of the year. The last one I saw was when I was real little back in Cuba in the late 80's or something, before the Soviet Union.

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With regards to parties. The only time a party can be called a party is when girls are in it, and you can socialize with other people (men and women) face to face.
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With regards to "commercialism":

Ok guys WTF is the problem with people wanting to make some F**** money, and other people wanting to spend their money on bull**** they don't need????????????????

Its called Capitalism and freedom of choice. MOFOs!
So what if people want to buy presents in X-mas? So what if people want to buy chocolate and flowers in Valentines Day? So what if people want to buy costumes in Halloween? So what if people want to buy stupid green hats and a TON of booze in St. Patricks day?