Because today is World Goth Day! (full disclosure: where I am it’s actually extremely sunny outside right now, not gloomy at all)
I hadn’t heard of World Goth Day until a few days ago, when I ran across a mention of it on social media. Apparently it started off back in 2009, and it’s been slinking along under the radar every May 22nd ever since. According to the official World Goth Day website, it’s “a day where the goth scene gets to celebrate it’s own being, and an opportunity to make its presence known to the rest of the world.”
Now, you probably have a certain type of person pop into your mind when you hear the word ‘goth’. You may be picturing a traditional old-school goth in spikes and fishnets, or that really really emo kid you knew in school, or somebody who dresses like a vampire. And those are all goths, but those aren’t the only types of goth there is. It’s a pretty big subculture, and there are a lot of different types of people living in it. If you want a quick-and-cute rundown of some of the better-known stereotypes, head over to the gallery of Goth (stereo) Types by Trellia on DeviantArt, but there are quite a few others even outside of that – I saw a list once that had well over 100 different types of goth listed on it. There are also plenty of books and websites that discuss the different types of subgenres within the goth subculture, as well as the history of the subculture itself.
In a nutshell, goths are people who embrace the darker aspects of life. Doesn’t mean we’re all – or always – depressed or morbid or negative, it just means those darker aspects are things we enjoy looking at, thinking about, or talking about. Also doesn’t mean that’s ALL we enjoy, or all we talk about, or that there’s something mentally wrong with us. Some of us embrace the darkness because we know that without it, there would be no light – darkness exists hand-in-hand with light, each giving birth to the other ad infinitum. And the darkness isn’t always bad, any more than the light is always good. That’s my perspective, anyway – others of a certainty have their own. The only thing about being goth that holds true for everyone is this: The only person who can decide if you are a goth or not, is you.
And whether you are or not, feel free to celebrate World Goth Day with the rest of us. 🙂
As a little bonus for people who actually click on the read more link (or who came to this post via a social media link, hi!), here’s a picture of Abby and a list of/links to some gothy-type things I personally enjoy.
Fiction: Dracula by Bram Stoker, The Occult Guide to London by Paula Dempsey, The October Country by Ray Bradbury, Shadows Over Baker Street by Michael Reaves
Non-fiction: Gothic Charm School by Jillian Venters, Goth Craft by Raven Digitalis, Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart
Music: Nox Arcana, Midnight Syndicate, Zombie Girl, Inkubus Sukkubus
Movies: The Call of Cthulhu, Van Helsing, Beetlejuice, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Creepshow, Odd Thomas
Television: The Addams Family, Tales from the Darkside, Monsters, Tales from the Crypt