The holiday has its roots in Celtic tradition associated with a festival called Samhain. This festival would be celebrated by people dressing up and gathering around a bonfire to celebrate the end of autumn and start of winter, who were believed to manifest on that day.
If you want to know more about this interesting story we invite you to check our last Instagram post HERE.
Halloween is not something that was celebrated in France until recent years. A much more important date for us is November 1st, that we call la Toussaint (All Saints' Day)
In France we clean graves and leave Chrysanthemums on top of the graves of our loved ones.
The effort to bring flowers into the cemetery extends to those who may not have people who visit their grave or take care of it during the rest of the year.
Why Chrysanthemums? Find the story here.
Halloween , or as we would say "Olaween" ,has recently started to become more popular in France in the last decade, seeing a rise in decorations in storefronts to special events put on by everything from Disneyland Paris to dance clubs!
If you find yourself in Paris during this spooky season
here is our selection of 7 ideas on how to celebrate the season!
1 Get involved in a mysterious murder
in a Parisian mansion! A spooky performance put on by Murder Mystery Paris.
3 floors, 8 actors, and 1 night you are sure not to forget! This interactive experience allows you to wander and witness the actors in various states of the drama set in 1948 in an attempt to solve the case.
2 Dancing the night away
Pachamama, a major Parisian club, is putting on a ball for 1,500 people in an old private mansion and the theme is… vampire ball!
Check the wonderful photo below (from Pachamama website) that shows the space in all its glory and vintage charm.
Plus, if you want to experience the electric atmosphere without partying all night, they have 2 different floors dedicated to fine dining in which you can enjoy gourmet meals and leave before the clock strikes midnight.
3 Discover the Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Do it at your pace with an automated guide or
follow our special live streaming on Facebook!
4 Visit the Cemetery du Calvaire (Montmartre)
(only open on Nov. 1st)
This small cemetery only opens on November 1, mainly hosts the representatives of the great aristocratic families of Montmartre from below (the current 9th arrondissement), returning from emigration, it also hosts some tombs of the inhabitants of “Montmartre from above”. Currently, only the descendants of those buried there can still be buried there.
Visits to the cemetery can only be made as part of the free guided tours organized by the City of Paris. the groups making up these visits cannot exceed 10 people.
5 The Magic of Disney
(ideal for kids or for those kids at heart)
Disneyland Paris offers Disney Halloween Festival from October 1 to November 6! Finishing the night of activities and performances in a massive fireworks show, Disney is not to be underrated for kids or adults with seasonal decorations and festive fun!
6 Même pas peur !
(Not even afraid!)
For the All Saints holidays (from Oct 26th to Nov. 6th 2022) the Menagerie honors its most disturbing residents, those who can repel you, scare you and even terrify you! Snakes, spiders, insects, rats and vultures! Take part in their various activities and discover these animals perceived by some as frightening.
Click HERE and find out more about the origin of our fears and the disturbing characteristics of certain species! (From 6 years old - Animations included in the entrance ticket.)
...and to finish our list of spooky activities for this festivity filled with fake terror and real excitement - we suggest you a classic:
7 Stroll the Catacombs!
Sure, you could go another day, but isn’t it more exciting to goo when the spirits are rumored to be at their most active?
Book your times tickets here and go straight in!
🎃 Wherever you are in the world and however you choose to celebrate this day, we send you lots of treats but no tricks from StrollsParis! 🎃
Written by Julia Orr, edited by Pamela Breit
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