So, this can be a query I get requested loads – do the French have fun Halloween? Nicely, the reply is sure – although it might not be with fairly as a lot vigour as say, the US.
Once I first purchased my little French home in 2004, Halloween flew by with out a lot as a flutter right here within the sticks the place I reside in northern France. There have been no children trick or treating, no carved pumpkins on doorsteps, and the retailers didn’t make an enormous factor of it. For those who had been fortunate, you may get a couple of pumpkin formed candies when you went to one of many greater cities, however that was about it. Certain, in Paris it was a ‘factor’, there’s even a haunted manor home close to the Gare du Nord that places on a somewhat scary Halloween themed occasion. However right here the place I reside, non, nothing.
However over time, that’s all modified. A lot of retailers beautify Halloween fashion – spiders webs are very talked-about. We even have trick or treating in my village. The children don’t actually put on costumes, however Madame Bernadette does their face make up they usually go spherical knocking on doorways and accumulating sweets. It’s a bit extra restrained than in some nations.
Ghosts, ghoulies and Halloween in France
One among my neighbours is admittedly into it. The primary time I noticed his backyard embellished for Halloween (prime picture), I used to be simply driving house, and I caught sight of a witch on a brush stick hanging up within the shed with pink and pink lights swirling round. I pulled the automotive over to the aspect of the highway to get a greater look. Nicely I’ve by no means seen something fairly prefer it. There have been lid swinging coffins within the entrance backyard, skeletons popping up over the hedge as you stroll previous, smoke crammed cauldrons, scary clowns pushing prams with Chucky fashion infants in them, cackling witches – tastefully dressed, that is France in spite of everything – and ghostly issues hanging and quivering within the bushes.
The person who lives there got here out and stated he encourages everybody to take a look round. Nicely two of my children got here to stick with us the week after so we took them to see his backyard. There have been a great deal of different folks all wandering round having fun with the spooky arrange, disco music was enjoying, the coffin lids had been opening and shutting, the witches had been cackling, the smoke was billowing about like misty magical smog, the children liked it. However the bizarre factor was, the household that lived there have been sitting of their kitchen consuming dinner watching us all, which I discovered even spookier!
There have been, surprisingly, no pumpkin in sight. They’re not huge on pumpkins for Halloween in France, the French favor to eat them!
Zombie France
In France they’re as a lot into the horror side of Halloween than the enjoyable aspect of issues. They love to do issues like Zombie walks and zombie events the place everybody attire up and wears make up, so that they appear like the residing useless for enjoyable! You’ll even discover organised zombie walks in cities throughout France.
La Toussaint
Extra conventional to the French than Halloween is La Toussaint, held on 1 November, the day after Halloween, referred to as All Saints Day in English. It’s a nationwide vacation in France, and it’s all about remembering mates and family members who’re not with us. It’s customary to put pots of brightly colored chrysanthemums on graves in reminiscence of the departed.
There are a number of legends about how the custom began nevertheless it actually goes again to the primary anniversary of the tip of World Battle I. The President on the time Raymond Poincaré and our Authorities requested all French folks to place flowers in cemeteries, in reminiscence of all of the troopers. Chrysanthemums had been your best option due to their late flowering and resistance to frost. Over time it grew to become a wider custom related to All Saints Day.
Greater than 25 million pots of chrysanthemums are purchased for La Toussaint in France.
Well-known ghosts of France
France has some spine-tingling ghost legends, from regal apparitions in Versailles to the moans of the Inexperienced Girl in a grand château.
Our up is the majestic Château de Brissac, it’s not solely the tallest citadel in France – seven tales excessive – it is called the ‘big of the Loire Valley’, nevertheless it’s additionally stated to be probably the most haunted citadel in France. It has been in the identical household since Might 26, 1502, and continues to be lived in.
Legend has it {that a} ghost referred to as the Inexperienced Girl wanders the citadel at evening. She was murdered by her husband within the 1400s. Charlotte de Brézé was having an affair and her husband Jacques came upon. He ran his sword via his spouse and her lover, and it’s stated that he pinned their souls to the citadel partitions. Now she roams the halls in a inexperienced costume, moaning in sorrow.
I’ve stayed someplace that actually did really feel spooky. And that is completely a real story. A few years in the past I went to Annecy within the Haute Savoie area. It’s a stunningly lovely city with winding cobbled streets, canals and naturally the well-known Lake Annecy. That lake is a mesmerising sight let me inform you. The water is turquoise, a vibrant aquamarine so clear you may see to the underside. Across the lake are eating places and accommodations together with the magnificent Abbaye de Talloires. And I used to be fortunate sufficient to remain on the Abbey lodge. It’s magnificent. It was constructed a number of hundred years in the past, however throughout the French Revolution it was just about destroyed. Legend has it that the massive abbey bells nonetheless lay on the backside of the lake. It’s been a beautiful lodge for a very long time now – the artist Cezanne stayed right here and the author Mark Twain.
Anyway, after I was there I used to be chatting to the manageress in regards to the historical past and he or she requested me if I’d wish to see one of many particular rooms.
“After all” I stated.
So she took me to a room about 5 doorways from mine. She advised me that this room which was the outdated monks’ room the place they’d pray alone, has not been redecorated since 1681. It’s beautiful. An actual time warp and it’s a categorized monument in its personal proper. The partitions are lined with frescoes of the Apostles, the ceiling is roofed with authentic work of angels and cherubs. It had an nearly tangible air of tranquillity.
I advised her I’d love to remain on this room, and he or she advised me that although the room is on the market for friends, they by no means let a girl keep right here on her personal. I used to be shocked as a result of the beds appeared cozy and there was an incredible feeling of peacefulness that you just get from a very historical room.
She advised me the room has a particular ambiance, quiet and peaceable – however not for everybody. And as she completed saying it, the traditional window shutters that had been hanging just a little lopsidedly both aspect of the window overlooking the lake, swung shut with a loud bang. I practically jumped out of my pores and skin. It’s simply the wind the manageress stated. And he or she requested me if I appreciated the Apostle photos on the partitions. They’re stunningly lovely however they’re unusual – all of them appear to be trying to the aspect or up or down besides one which gave the impression to be trying straight at me and I stared into these eyes and the closed door to the room blew open with a loud bang.
I’ve to confess the hair on the again of my neck stood up. It’s simply the wind the manageress stated, and we left the room with the shutters rattling. It was spooky. It did have an environment, nevertheless it additionally felt calm and peaceable and welcoming – and I slept like a child that evening in my room 5 doorways down!
Ghost wood legs and a phantom horse
Proper let’s head to Brittany now and the Chateau de Combourg, a medieval citadel the place it’s stated that the ghost of the Rely of Combourg walks the steps. Nicely not all of him – simply his wood leg! They are saying you may hear it banging on the steps, greater than 300 years after he died!
In the meantime, the Château de Sallenôves in Haute-Savoie, has a walled-up room named the ‘Satan’s room’ – which is asking for bother actually isn’t it. They are saying that from this room can he heard the sound of stamping ft, highly effective hooves putting the bottom and the sound of rage, a roaring sound – nevertheless it’s not the satan doing it. It’s a horse. A ghost horse who haunts the room attempting to get out and solely stops his noise on the stroke of midnight. It’s stated the horse was carrying his mistress when an amorous lord tried to kidnap her, and legend has it that nature saved her by making a flood which carried her away and the poor horse was left behind and was provided a room within the citadel…
Ghosts of Versailles
Now we go to the Palace of Versailles, the bling bling house of Louis XIV and his descendants. This place is alleged to be inhabited by a number of phantoms. There’s a well-known story from the beginning of the twentieth century of two English women who met with the ghost of Marie-Antoinette within the gardens of the Petit Trianon. It was August 10, 1901. One of many women was a headmistress, the opposite her assistant. It was a scorching day they usually completed visiting the principle palace rooms and determined to go to the Trianon palace within the gardens.
They bought a bit misplaced and noticed two males wearing inexperienced coats and three-cornered hats carrying shovels and requested for instructions. Then they noticed a person sitting close to a Chinese language-style kiosk and handed one other man who gave them instructions. On the Trianon they noticed a girl sporting a white hat and an old style costume. They usually had an amazing feeling of misery and left. The ladies had been satisfied that they’d met ghosts together with Marie-Antoinette and wrote a e book about it. It was a sensation on the time. However not taken critically by the psychic analysis institute. It was solely 70 years later that it was found that there was a Chinese language fashion kiosk on the Trianon in 1774 – nevertheless it had lengthy been gone, how may the women have identified of its existence…
VIP Ghosts
Napoleon Bonaparte is alleged to have believed in ghosts. He apparently usually noticed an apparition generally known as The Purple Man who is alleged to have appeared to him a number of occasions – at his Coronation, to advise him in opposition to invading Russia after which once more on the Eve of the Battle of Waterloo. The Purple Man is alleged to have lengthy haunted the Tuileries in Paris. One legend says that he was a henchman generally known as Jean the Skinner and employed to commit murders for Catherine de Medici. To cover her secrets and techniques she is alleged to have had him killed. It was claimed he appeared to lots of France’s ruling elite together with Catherine de Medici, Henri IV, Louis XIV, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette at vital moments of their lives, sometimes simply earlier than one thing horrible was about to occur to them, significantly their loss of life.
Hmm, humorous how he by no means appeared to strange folks – solely VIPs! He should have had the keys to their rooms – spook-key!
One of the vital well-known ghosts of France is the Phantom of the Opera. A fictional novel by Gaston Leroux advised of unusual issues going down beneath the foundations of the Opera Garnier. The e book featured an enormous underground lake with many tunnels main from it. Unbeknown to Leroux on the time, the truth is that the Opera home is constructed on prime of an enormous water tank that also to at the present time, mysteriously, can’t be drained. It’s rumouored that the firefighters of Paris use it to apply swimming at nighttime.
Janine Marsh is the editor of The Good Life France and creator of a number of books about France.
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