Tor Snaprud, 10, is just getting together with classmates during the afternoon, but even then is a haunting time in Longyearbyen on the last day of October since there hasn’t been a sunrise for five days. So he’s set to scare any peers who find clowns creepy – but woe unto him if he gets spooked and tries to run away in the snow in his huge floppy shoes.
Snaprud got his three-ring threads from a collection of handmade and commercial costumes Sirkus Svalnardo has collected over many years for its acrobatic shows involving large numbers of students performing a wide range of storybook and silly acts. His sister, Tyri, 9, assimilated into the clown cult while his brother Tolley, 5, transformed from mild-manned tot to well-muscled Spider-Man ready to ward off the evil dead and other evildoers.
Kristine Myrbostad, a Sirkus Svalnardo teacher and former performer while growing up here, said she decided to make the group’s costumes available for Halloween for the first time after hearing some people were having difficulty finding outfits.
“We’re hoping people will give their costumes to us and we can do this every year,” she said.
While there were other youth-oriented activities around town during Halloween itself such as free face painting at Svalbardbutikken, some of the more senior spooky activity is being saved for Friday night including a “Boos and Booze” party at Svalbar at 8 p.m.