Novocastrian

This is the first time we've been in France at this time of the year, so were not expecting the door bell to ring several times yesterday evening and having ghouls etc. requesting bonbons.

How long has this transatlantic phenomenon been going on in France?

dmu

Too long! I remember my daughters' primary school pals coming around one year, but when I didn't give bonbons or coins, they left us out the following years!
The few children in the hamlets don't do the rounds nowadays, thank goodness....

Novocastrian

Thanks. It is a thing in the UK too these days, but luckily we live in a second floor apartment there so the zombies can't knock on the door.

I thought we'd left this annoyance behind in Canada. No such luck. Harrumph.

grannybunz

It has crept in over the years. When we first lievd here it was more or less unknown but them so was Macdo and other undesirable American imports.

We now have many more children in the hameau and the parents organise a joint "haunting and issue notices to all households. If you are willing to accept visitors then there is a baloon to tie onto your gate and they are very good at observing this, Last night there were pumpkin lanterns, candles all over the hameau and a very excited group of kids with plenty of adults who greeted their host very politely, demolished the goodies on off then thanked us politely , wished us goodnight and left. The adults gratefully accepted the vin chaude provided. The one child who overstepped the mark was scolded and removed!

All harmless fun and good to be able to take part.

Novocastrian

Yes. I'm allowed to be a grumpy old man these days but I'll admit that when we had little kids in Germany we used to enjoy Sankt Martinsabend when all the kids in the small town would parade around the streets carrying lanterns and wearing robes etc.

It was the mulled wine which made me remember.

scrubbedexpat142

Supposed to make you forget!

Novocastrian

GPWM.

Tweedpipe

GrannyB,
Now with Halloween behind us, perhaps it's time to really educate the local kids in your hameau by making one of these, and propping it up in a prominent position:



I'll leave it to you to decide whether you scribble penny or euro 'for the guy' this coming Sunday (5th Nov)
Guy Fawkes! What great delight we had as very young kids making these guys, and seeing how much money we could make in order to buy fireworks.
I recall my father being quite disgruntled on one occasion when he couldn't find his trousers to put on to go to work. I'd conveniently forgotten that I'd borrowed them the previous day, and like the guy.........they'd gone up in smoke.

Before clicking on THIS link, I wonder how many of you can remember the subsequent two lines of verse to this well-known historic poem:
Remember, remember, the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot,
etc...........

I must confess, I couldn't. Quite an interesting article! Another thing I didn't know was that originally the guy that was put together for the bonfire, was an effigy of the pope.
And as one reader commented on the article, many of today's politicians need to be tarred & feathered..... and worse.

Which reminds me. These days, how many French civil servants would it take to set fire to a Guy Fawkes?

dmu

I knew about the effigy of the Pope and learned from Wikipedia that it's Pope Paul V who happened to be Pope in 1605. I couldn't quite see the good people of Lewes burning Jean-Paul II or François! I'm originally from Sussex and the Lewes Bonfire is well-known. I was never allowed to go to it, though...

Scots in Treignac

The Auld Alliance (between Scotland and France) goes further back than the USA.


Guising is a good tradition in Scotland . The problem today is the number of old folk who buy in the sweets, apples and monkey nuts, but then don't get any visitors. less than 30 years ago kids would go along the street and knock on the doors of folk they didn't know.

grannybunz

I actually remember thus far, but I believe it goes on and on and on:

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
Guy Fawkes and his companions
Did the scheme contrive,
To blow the King and Parliament
All up alive.

Grandadbunz has been watching Gunpowder on BBC One but after the first half hour of the first episode I gave up.

Novocastrian

You need to explain more fully why trick or treating has a connection to the auld alliance.

I'm prepared to be enlightened or otherwise.

Scots in Treignac

I can't enlighten you


I was merely suggesting that for Scotland and possibly for France and Germany the traditions long carried out by children, didn't come east across the Atlantic.


The Calvinist protestants in Scotland and those settling in America didn't like anything to do with witchcraft.


However, I was rather surprised recently when visiting a collection of gravestones on the Black Isle of pre and post reformation eras.
The pre reformation ones had ornate decorations of a cross intertwined with the tree of life, whereas the post reformation stones had skulls and crossbones and serpents.


Has anyone come across such headstones/tombstones in France?

Purple Jim

When we came to France in the late 80s, there was no Halloween. As you say, it gradually creeped over and now they really enjoy it. I think they were late to embrace it because Nov 1 is a bank holiday and the day after is "la fête des morts", where everyone remembers their lost loved ones.

Tweedpipe

When I came here - even further back, Father Christmas was still wearing nappies.

And regarding lost loved ones: