It's so interesting to read about differences in culture. Merci for this interesting and educational post, Pierre! I leave work early on Halloween to make sure I'm home in time to hand out candy and see all the kids!
In the early 1990s, we had a series of British Au Pairs and they were so surprised by the importance of Halloween in the US. Like France, England wasn’t into this holiday but it has taken hold there as well with the first surge of interest in the late 1990s.
Thank you for sharing! It’s fascinating to hear your British au pairs also found Halloween surprising back in the 90s. Like in France, it seems Halloween slowly found its way into England too. As I live in England, I’ve noticed just how similar it feels to the French experience. Thanks again for the insight!
I'm moving to Provence this year, having lived in the US my whole life. Halloween/Samhain is my absolute favorite holiday, and our family celebrated it with even more enthusiasm than most American families (and still does!). I could tell you things about the Halloween events and parties our elementary school had when I was a child - absolutely stunning, magical, and loads of fun! When we talk about Halloween in the US now, it's more about lamenting how things have changed - quite the eye-opener, reading how floored you were that we have ever gotten so into Halloween at all ("Trunk or Treat," where kids trick or treat at parents' decorated parked vehicles in school or church parking lots as opposed to going door-to-door for treats, has become much more popular; kids don't stay out as late, it's just not as "fun" and free as it used to be)!
I will say, one of my "inner child" points of sadness in moving to France has been the idea that I wouldn't be able to enjoy Halloween like I always have. So finding articles like this and discovering that anyone celebrates Halloween in France at all is exciting! And that there are indeed pumpkins, even if they aren't the big orange ones that I'm so accustomed to (and love). It's going to be quite the cultural experience for me, being in Provence in October, and I'm willing to embrace it for all the incredible things that France has to offer, of course. Thank you for sharing this!
It's so interesting to read about differences in culture. Merci for this interesting and educational post, Pierre! I leave work early on Halloween to make sure I'm home in time to hand out candy and see all the kids!
Thank you so much, Ellen! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. 👋
In the early 1990s, we had a series of British Au Pairs and they were so surprised by the importance of Halloween in the US. Like France, England wasn’t into this holiday but it has taken hold there as well with the first surge of interest in the late 1990s.
Thank you for sharing! It’s fascinating to hear your British au pairs also found Halloween surprising back in the 90s. Like in France, it seems Halloween slowly found its way into England too. As I live in England, I’ve noticed just how similar it feels to the French experience. Thanks again for the insight!
I'm moving to Provence this year, having lived in the US my whole life. Halloween/Samhain is my absolute favorite holiday, and our family celebrated it with even more enthusiasm than most American families (and still does!). I could tell you things about the Halloween events and parties our elementary school had when I was a child - absolutely stunning, magical, and loads of fun! When we talk about Halloween in the US now, it's more about lamenting how things have changed - quite the eye-opener, reading how floored you were that we have ever gotten so into Halloween at all ("Trunk or Treat," where kids trick or treat at parents' decorated parked vehicles in school or church parking lots as opposed to going door-to-door for treats, has become much more popular; kids don't stay out as late, it's just not as "fun" and free as it used to be)!
I will say, one of my "inner child" points of sadness in moving to France has been the idea that I wouldn't be able to enjoy Halloween like I always have. So finding articles like this and discovering that anyone celebrates Halloween in France at all is exciting! And that there are indeed pumpkins, even if they aren't the big orange ones that I'm so accustomed to (and love). It's going to be quite the cultural experience for me, being in Provence in October, and I'm willing to embrace it for all the incredible things that France has to offer, of course. Thank you for sharing this!