Halloween in France

October 2014 Culture Lesson: Halloween in France
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teaching adults in private and group classes for over 15 years. After years of observing her
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Halloween in France
French people don’t typically celebrate Halloween. In the 1990s, young international hipsters started
to have costume parties for Halloween, and some bars and restaurants took up the trend as well
(French people typically love costume parties, they are very popular for New Year’s Eve or birthdays,
even among grown-ups).
So Halloween is not a typical French holiday but stores try to take advantage of it, and it’s not unusual
to find a “carve your Halloween pumpkin (“une citrouille” or “un potiron”) display at your local grocery
store.
A great way to motivate young kids to learn English
With English being studied in elementary school, kids usually know about Halloween. There are
many fun activities that can be done on the Halloween theme, and candies are sufficient motivation
for any kid in the world! Unfortunately, Halloween is usually during mid-season school break (“les
vacances de la Toussaint”), so schools don’t usually organize a trick-or-treating outing. Although
some neighborhoods are more responsive than others, trick-or-treating is not yet part of the French
tradition, and people have mixd reactions to being “disturbed’ at nightfall for candies by kids in
costumes.
Halloween is getting mix reactions from French folks
In the small village where my parents live, the school teacher is serious about teaching English, and
loves the opportunity Halloween provides to motivate kids. All the kids meet up at the school and
then go trick-or treating, and guess what? My parent’s house is right in front of the school. It’s the
one house all the kids are sure to hit!!! My Mom (75 years old) hates it. My Dad (80 years young)
loves it :-)
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T hin k Fre nch - octobre 2 0 1 4
The same ideas as the Catholic holiday “La Toussaint”
It’s too bad though, because on November 1st is the Catholic Holiday of “la Toussaint” (All Saints
Day – A national holiday), when French people traditionally visit cemeteries, freshen up the tomb
displays, and pray to their dead and their favorite saints. These are the same ideas that are at the very
heart of Halloween. I feel Halloween could be a great way to get younger people to carry on ancient
French traditions that are getting forgotten, while also integrating a fun American celebration.
Halloween related Vocabulary in French
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La Toussaint – All Saint Day
Le trente et un octobre – 31st of October
Halloween – halloween (say it the French way “a lo ween”)
Friandises ou bêtises/ Des bonbons ou un sort – treat or trick
Un déguisement, un costume – a costume
Un fantôme – a ghost
Un vampire – a vampire
Une sorcière – a witch
Une princesse – a princess
Un squelette – skeleton
Un épouvantail – a scarecrow
Un diable – a devil
Une momie – a mummy
Un monstre – a monster
Une chauve-souris – a bat
Une araignée – a spider
Une toile d’araignée – spider web
Un chat noir – a black cat
Un potiron, une citrouille – a pumpkin
Une bougie – a candle
Des bonbons – candies
Se déguiser (en) – to wear a costume, to dress-up as
Je me déguise en sorcière – I am wearing a witch costume, I am dressing-up as a witch
Sculpter une citrouille – to cave a pumpkin
Frapper à la porte – to knock on the door
Sonner à la sonnette – to ring the bell
Faire peur à quelqu’un – to scare someone
Avoir peur – to be scared
Donner des bonbons – to give candies
w w w. t h i n k f re n c h . c o m
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