Halloween in Paris
How To Celebrate Halloween As An Expat in Paris
Planning on celebrating Halloween in Paris?
Whilst Halloween has not typically been celebrated in France, this has changed a lot in the past few years, especially in the cosmopolitan capital. Although maybe not as big an affair as the UK, and certainly not as widely celebrated as in the US, France undeniably has the upperhand when it comes to holiday time: the 1st of November is a jour férié (bank holiday) for La Toussaint (All Saints’ Day). This means you have plenty of time to catch up on sleep and to nurse your headache before heading back to work or your studies!
We’ve compiled together our top picks of how you can spend Halloween in Paris, as well as some tips and tricks (or treats!) for how to make the most of this spooky season!
Try Out The Halloween Events in The Bars & Clubs in Paris
Bars and clubs are the places that are most likely to run Halloween-themed nights, as it is largely the younger population that has embraced this holiday. Search up your favourite Parisian club and see if they’re holding any fun events! Lots of bars nowadays run dress-up competitions and themed parties, so get thinking about your costume. So far in my research for this, I’ve found a party in the American Church of Paris, A Dragon Ball in the second arrondissement, and a Latino boat party, with such a big range in events, you’ll definitely find something that suits you!
What To Do On Halloween in Paris?
Take A Trip To The Catacombs
Based in the 14th arrondissement, the Catacombs of Paris contain the bodies of over six million people that were buried in mass graves during the 18th century. Whilst they are open all year round, we would definitely recommend visiting over the Halloween period. As well as teaching you more about the history of Paris, the haunting sensation that you will feel whilst surrounded by millions of human skeletons will certainly leave you feeling spooked.
Decorate Your Apartment
Shops like Hema and Tiger have locations all over Paris and I’ve already seen their shop windows piled high with various Halloween decorations, as well as chocolate and sweets. Why not head over there to check out what they have to offer? Decorate your apartment with some little ghosts and spiderwebs, and then head over to your local grocery store and pick up a citrouille (a pumpkin) and carve to your heart’s delight!
Watch French Halloween Films – Halloween in Paris
Whilst there are lots of anglophone Halloween films you could watch, why not take the opportunity to learn some French at the same time? If you are a horror-film lover, then you will definitely want to watch Haute Tension (High Tension) and À l’intérieur (Inside) to get your yearly gore intake. And if you only want to watch your anglophone favourites, you can always change the language settings to French or put on French subtitles so that you can improve your French at the same time.
Bake Halloween-themed Treats
If you are lucky enough to have an oven in your apartment, then why not bake some spooky treats? And even if you don’t have an oven, you can still bake too! Some of our favourite oven-free bakes include rocky-road, cheesecake, and fudge. Whatever you make, you can decorate with black and orange icing to put you in the Halloween mood.
Eurodisney At Halloween
It’s probably unsurprising that the best place to celebrate Halloween may just be an American export. Eurodisney is already dressed in its spooky best, ready to welcome children and adults alike, as the park celebrates this festive period from the 1st of October to 7th of November this year.
This time of year is the Disney villains’ time to shine, as Captain Hook, Cruella, Maleficent, among others, will make your acquaintance as you stroll through the park! You might see Maleficent under various guises, as she will be transformed into a dragon, wandering the park.
This is also a perfect opportunity for you to go on Disney’s year-round scarier rides, such as the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Teach The Children You Work With New Halloween Traditions
As we already mentioned, Halloween is definitely not as big in France as it is in the anglophone world. Therefore it is a good opportunity to teach the children you work with about how halloween is celebrated elsewhere! For example, you could print out some halloween colouring sheets for them to do, or give them the chance to dress up as their favourite film characters.
Most Importantly – Halloween in Paris
Make Halloween your own! Let’s be honest: it probably won’t be very similar to the Halloween you’re used to back home, but that’s what makes it exciting. Living abroad gives you the chance to learn traditions from other cultures, as well as creating your own. Halloween in Paris is such an experience in itself, that even if you maybe miss out on some of the more familiar aspects of it, like trick or treating, you’ll be sure to have fun no matter what you end up doing.
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Who To Celebrate With?
Babylangues has a well-established community of expats in Paris. Why not gather your fellow instructor friends and head on out together to enjoy the City of Lights at this spooky time of year? We love that our network of instructors is very international; it allows them all to discover Paris not only through their own cultural lens but also that of their friends around them. Ask your international friends to tell you about how they normally celebrate Halloween – and then take Paris by storm with your own mish-mash of new traditions!
