Halloween, traditionally a Celtic holiday, is not readily celebrated in France. However, since the mid 90’s, it has become more and more popular. This popularity is due mostly to American cultural influence and corporate marketing. Disney, McDonald’s, Coca Cola and other major corporations have introduced the Halloween theme (pumpkins, for instance), to make Halloween more easily recognizable.
Trick or treating is not really what it is in the U.S. In fact, until recently most trick or treating in France has been done at shops and storefronts. Slowly but surely, candy manufacturers are getting in on the deal by creating Halloween specific bite sized candies that are easily doled out for Halloween.
At this time of year, you can see some (not many) bars decorated with fake cob webs, with witches and ghosts. Chocolate shops get into the spirit by creating some beautiful Halloween creations, all orange and black and white, wonderful to see in the windows. At some pastry shops, like Fauchon, you can get a wonderful blood orange eclair, whose icing is a beautiful deep orange color.
I was at a friend’s in Montmartre for Halloween last year. He was shocked when, at about 9 p.m, there was a knock on his apartment door. He opened the door to a ghoul and a witch who promptly belted out “Un bonbon ou un sort!” which would translate to “Candy or a spell!” He looked at me frantically and said “What do I do??” I told him he owed them candy, he had none. He gave them fruit. They were happy and went on their way. (The French are trying, but they have a lot to learn about the importance of the perfect treat.)
I don’t know if Halloween will make it long term in France, some French people refuse to celebrate an imported holiday that is really a corporate creation. For now, Disneyland Paris has a huge Halloween festival, as does the entire city of Limoges which boasts a crowd of 30,000 – 50,000 during the street festival. And in the streets of Paris, don’t be surprised if on October 31 you run into a little vampire or witch (then tend to stick to the scary) ready to get their “bonbons” and party all night….they have no school on November 1, it’s All Saints Day!
But that goes without saying…some 180 miles of underground bones, all piled upon each other, skulls glaring at you in the dim light of the Catacombs. Yeesh. I tend to wonder about folks who make the Catacombs a “must-see” during their trip to Paris. To me, hanging around a dank underground tunnel with 18th century bones is NOT my idea of “gai Paris”. But to each his own I guess. I’m sure when my son is bored and 14 and I’m dragging him through Paris for the umteenth time, we will probably venture to the Catacombs as well.
To read more about the Catacombs, go to the article at Concierge.com.
Bertrand Delanoë, the Mayor of Paris, has done a lot to improve that city. Last year he made the public toilettes free for use and it worked. The usage has gone up incredibly (you used to have to pay to faire pipi in these little booths on the sidewalk).
But it hasn’t stopped the public urination problem that occurs in various areas of this beautiful city. What to do, what to do…. Ah HA… the “mur anti-pipi” or the “anti-pee wall”. What? It’s a wall built on the side of buildings that basically ricochets the pee right back at ‘ya. Niiiice. More on the anti-pipi plan can be found in this article from Britians The Telegraph.
A fun fact from this article:
A prototype is being tried out in the Cour des Petites-Ecuries in the 10th arrondissement — the quarter with the highest number of offenders. The chic second arrondissement is second worst.
Cleanest of all is the seventh arrondissment, one of the most expensive in Paris and home to the Eiffel Tower
Who knew?
Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 3 a.m. Don’t forget to fall back if you’ll be in France this weekend!
You’ve got it…Ratatouille! Gone are the days of the French snubbing their noses at all things Disney. With this little French rat and his little French friend, the U.S. may no longer need an ambassador in Paris!
From the New York Times:
The animated film “Ratatouille,” about a rodent who dreams of becoming a French chef, has become the highest-grossing film of 2007 in France. The film sold more than $60 million in tickets, placing it No. 1 at the French box office for six weeks, beating the record set by “Titanic.”
The Palais de Tokyo, overlooking the Seine and the Eiffel Tower, has rented out space on its rooftop. For what? A one-room hotel, of all thiings.
The “Hotel Everland” will be open through 2008. For 333 euros a night during the week and 444 euros on weekends, you get a one-night stay in a 1970’s inspired hotel room with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Beware,
you can stay for only one night and during the day, the room can be inspected by museum visitors!
The French love a good strike: the electric company, the mail service, the truckers, the farmers, you name it. This time it’s the RATP’s turn: the Paris transportation network that comprises all RATP bus, metro and RER lines, plus the train service (SNCF). The last time I recall a strike like this, I was a grad student and the Sorbonne had to cancel classes! Vive la greve!!
The SNCF (railway) threatens that the strike may continue. This means that is if their demands are not met on October 18th, they will ask the union members to vote on whether or not to continue to strike the next day (or any further days).
Vive la Republique!!
Putting together your itinerary for Paris? It can be a hassle to flip through books or going to multiple web sites trying to figure out when your favorite museums will be closed. Here is a very handy-dandy listing of all the Paris museum closings. It is in French, so all you need to know is the days of the week:
lundi: Monday
mardi: Tuesday
mercredi: Wednesday
jeudi: Thursday
vendredi: Friday
samedi: Saturday
dimanche: Sunday
