Like many people, are you also wondering if people celebrate Halloween in France?Without a doubt, Halloween is one of the most awaited holidays in France. From adults to little children, everyone waits eagerly throughout the year for October and November to arrive in France.This is because this fun holiday gives kids and adults in France a chance to brainstorm and dress up in many innovative ways without looking like a fish out of the water, eat unlimited candy, treats and have lots of fun. People celebrate by putting up Halloween decorations in their houses using spider webs, fake ghosts, vampires, and pumpkins. Kids carve pumpkins and go door to door to trick or treat. But is this trick-or-treating holiday celebrated all around the world? Where did it originate from? Keep reading to find answers to interesting questions about celebrating Halloween in France!After reading about the celebration of Halloween in cities and country-side in France, also check out facts about when did Halloween start in America and why do we celebrate Halloween in America.The Origins Of HalloweenThe Halloween we celebrate every October 31 comes from the Celtic festival of Samhain. The end of the harvest season and the beginning of the winter season were marked by this festival.According to the traces found, it is accepted that Samhain originated Celtic Pagan tribes and that it has been celebrated since ancient ages. The legend says that as the days become shorter the barrier that separates our world from the other world gets thinner. It is believed that at this time of the year there is a passage through which the otherworldly beings can enter our world.So to ward off the evil spirits or the dead the celts used to light bonfires and pound on drums to guide these spirits from this side of the passage. People would wear costumes to scare them away. This is why people even today dress up on this holiday. Celtic traditions started to mix with Roman celebrations as the Romans arrived in Britain.The Unbelievable History Of Halloween In FranceFrench people might not like celebrating this festival but they can’t deny that it was in the Celtic tribes living in Gaul (the old name of the county of France) that this festival originated.French people simply don’t register this holiday in their holiday calendar and for some, it is quite non-French to even think about participating in it. The Samhain Festival we read about earlier has its roots in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and none other than France. At the time of the Roman Empire, Celts inhabited Isles and Western Europe. And since it was a hugely important holiday for Celts, the Romans simply could not be without it. The Roman Catholic Church converted it into a Christian holiday in the ninth century so as to convert the celts to Catholics.Halloween Traditions In FranceHalloween traditions in France are starting to change a little bit.Especially in Paris, the capital city, you can find Halloween house parties with ghosts waiting for you to attend if you look hard enough. This change is largely being brought out by younger generations.If you happen to be in the country of France during Halloween do not go trick or treating and say ‘trick or treat’ no matter how tempting it may be. The French people prefer saying ‘des bonbons ou un sort’ which roughly translates to ‘candy or a spell’.The French Way Of Celebrating HalloweenOne reason why this spooky holiday did not take off in France is that it is too commercial and too ‘American’ for them. The locals see it as just another reason for the stores to sell a witch costume, alcohol, and candy or organize a Halloween party.The few places where Halloween is celebrated with full vigor go all out with scary costumes. They wear genuinely scary costumes contrary to the funny or satirical look people go for these days in North America. There are also a few theatres in France that can be checked out as they play scary French movies. Disneyland Paris also hosts a yearly Halloween festival where people wear costumes. If you are an ex-pat living in France, be sure to visit it as it is an extravagant affair and is sure to entertain you. French schools are also increasingly asking children to celebrate this festival by dressing up.French Halloween HolidayIn France, the day of Halloween clashes with another festival named La Toussaint. French Halloween is also known as All Saint’s Day. It is a catholic celebration that falls one day after Halloween on November 1st.This is a public holiday for workers and school-going children with a break for about two weeks from the middle of October to one day after Toussaint Day. There is an interesting connection between the two. The connection can be found in the name itself if you look close enough. The word Halloween or Hallowe’en as it is widely known all around the world refers to ‘Saint’s evening’. It finds its origins in the Scottish term for All Hallows Eve, which points to the evening that comes before All Hallows’ Day, also referred to as All Saints’ Day. In a way, we can say that Halloween is the eve of all Saints’ day.La ToussaintLa Toussaint, which is also known as the All Saints Day in the English language, is a French national holiday celebrated with vigor in France. It is a catholic holiday that falls on November 1st.It is not a happy celebration as on this day, French people mourn their dead family members. It’s common to go to the cemetery to bring flowers and tidy up the tombs. They pray for their souls to rest in peace. A lot of the families plan a meal but there is no special French tradition regarding it. Bringing a special type of flower ‘des chrysanthèmes’ commonly referred to as mums is fairly common. It is so because they bloom at that time of the year. The name ‘mums’ comes from the Latin name of the flower ‘chrysanthemum.’Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for do they celebrate Halloween in France then why not take a look at scary Halloween facts, or what is Halloween?
Like many people, are you also wondering if people celebrate Halloween in France?
