In 2004 Halloween was largely absent in rural northern France, with no trick-or-treating, no carved pumpkins, and little retail acknowledgement. Over subsequent years Halloween has grown in visibility, with many shops decorating in Halloween motifs and villages organizing trick-or-treat rounds. Children often skip full costumes but receive face makeup and collect sweets from neighbors, producing a more restrained celebration than seen in some other countries. Urban centers like Paris host larger events, including themed haunted-house attractions near the Gare du Nord. Some residents create elaborate yard displays with animated props and effects that draw local visitors.
"So, this is a question I get asked a lot - do the French celebrate Halloween? Well, the answer is yes - though it may not be with quite as much vigour as say, the US. When I first bought my little French house in 2004, Halloween flew by without so much as a flutter here in the sticks where I live in northern France."
"There were no kids trick or treating, no carved pumpkins on doorsteps, and the shops didn't make a big thing of it. If you were lucky, you might get a few pumpkin shaped chocolates if you went to one of the bigger towns, but that was about it. Sure, in Paris it was a 'thing', there's even a haunted manor house near the Gare du Nord that puts on a rather scary Halloween themed event."
"The first time I saw his garden decorated for Halloween ( top photo), I was driving home, and I caught sight of a witch on a broom stick hanging up in the shed with pink and red lights swirling around. I pulled the car over to the side of the road to get a better look. Well I've never seen anything quite like it."
Read at The Good Life France
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