Well, folks, brace yourselves! We’ve all heard of the classic Halloween traditions, but this article takes it up a notch—like putting a chainsaw in an overflowing pumpkin spice latte and saying, "Happy Halloween!"
Let’s dive into the hallows of hearty Halloween home decor, where people across France are auditioning for the role of the most dedicated fright-monger. It’s like a never-ending episode of "Extreme Makeover: Halloween Edition!"
Pumpkins and a Whole Lot More
Forget just the classic jack-o’-lanterns. People are turning their homes, balconies, and even their gardens into playgrounds for phantoms and mechanics of mayhem. Giant spiders, skeletons, and witches are just the beginning! They’re inviting guests in for a big ol’ slice of horror pie—and no, you can’t ask for a salad.
A Haunted Forest House in Alsace: Where "RIP" Is a Warm Greeting!
First up, we have Xavier Schmitt in Andolsheim, who thought, “You know what? I just want to wish passersby ‘Good luck!’ and ‘Rest in peace!’ as they stroll through the woods.” This guy not only scared up some fun, but he did it with recycled materials. He’s got a skeleton pulling a classic “I’m coming out of my grave” gag, while his tombstones are made from polystyrene! Who knew environmental consciousness could be so… grave-diggingly delightful?
The Goyat Family’s Haunted House: A Spooky Spectacle!
Next, let’s sashay over to Cherbourg. The Goyats have a family tradition that combines creativity with cannibalistic amounts of candy. I mean, 1,000 euros in decorations? You might want to check that their finances aren’t all tricked out, too! Can you imagine being a child ringing that doorbell? “Do you want a treat or will you become the treat?”
The Blood Jacuzzi of Nilvange: A Pumpkin Patch Gone Rogue!
Moving onto Nilvange, where Magguy is gearing up for Halloween with a "blood jacuzzi." Yes, you heard me right! A Jacuzzi full of “blood” while skeletons take a dip is just the kind of home decor that says, “We love our neighbors… but we love scaring them more!” Layers of work from September onwards for a sound and light show? Now that’s commitment!
La Rochelle: This Balcony’s a Whole Funfair!
Next, La Rochelle presents us with a mini Halloween funfair, because why just celebrate Halloween when you can host it? Angélique and her husband Loïc want every child in the neighborhood to experience Halloween magic, even if that means rolling out a whole carnival right on their balcony. Awards for the best costume? Sign me up! If they keep up this enthusiasm, their miniature scary fair may just eat Disneyland for breakfast!
Montlouis-sur-Loire: Enter If You Dare!
Valentin in Montlouis-sur-Loire decided that the best way to share his love for Halloween is through a haunted tunnel in his garden. With a dragon as the doorman and a mannequin greeting guests with a “Welcome… to your doom,” he’s bound to give more than a few folks heart palpitations. Who needs thrill rides when you’ve got skulls and a wacky walk through Halloween history?
La Tour-du-Pin’s Fear Labyrinth: Volunteers Bring the Boo!
Don’t forget Geoffroy Oliveira, whose garden is more crowded with fright than a London Underground on a Monday morning. He’s rallied twenty volunteers to build a fear labyrinth—even creating an “adult” section that’s not recommended for younger guests. Talk about elevating "ghosting" to an entirely new level!
The Sweet Nightmare of Lucbardez-et-Bargues
And finally, let’s not overlook the Hardion family in Lucbardez-et-Bargues, who’ve crafted a bloody perfect Halloween display with “10 kilos of candy” and “20 kilos of nightmares.” That sounds suspiciously like my Halloween party last year after I got carried away with the snack tray!
A Pirate Den in Dijon & Decoration Contests: Because Why Not?
In Dijon, Létitia is taking seasonal decorating to new depths—this time with a pirate theme! She’s crafting palm trees from floor insulations, and before you know it, every neighbor will want to start their own "Pirates of the Calle-Bean" franchise.
And let’s not forget the town of Clayes-sous-Bois tossing in a contest to scare the socks off a few unsuspecting souls. “El Día de los Muertos” theme? Now that sounds dangerously delightful!
Conclusion: Let’s Celebrate Spirited Fun
So, there you have it! France is gearing up for Halloween in an outrageously enthusiastic, spirited way. And while I can’t tell if these families are celebrating Halloween or simply auditioning for a role in the next fright film, one thing’s for sure: it’s not going to be a dull Halloween night. Here’s to haunted houses, recycled pumpkins, and light shows that will make your neighbors hell-bent on trick-or-treating! Happy Halloween, everyone! 🎃👻
Pumpkins but not only! To put your house, your balcony or your window in Halloween style, there are plenty of choices for those who are not afraid: giant spiders, skeletons, evil clowns, witches… The party Halloween is celebrated on the night of October 31 to November 1, particularly in Anglo-Saxon countries, but it has been established for many years in France. On the eve of All Saints’ Day, we play to scare each other, with disguises and horrific settings. France Bleu makes you discover the most successful decorations.
In Andolsheim (Alsace), the forest house wishes you a good eternal rest
At the edge of the Andolsheim woods, near Colmar, the forest house wishes “good luck!” and “rest in peace” (RIP = Rest in peace) to passing walkers. A skeleton emerges from the ground in front of a series of tombstones, not far from a growth of giant toadstools. It was the forest ranger, Xavier Schmitt, who had the idea for this decoration, in order to brighten up the ride for walkers, cyclists and even horse riders.
All the decoration, or almost, is made from recycled materialshe explains to France Bleu Alsace: the giant mushrooms were cut with a chainsaw from scrap wood, the tombstones cut from polystyrene to insulate the houses. Xavier Schmitt did everything himself.
Fake graves in front of the Andolsheim forest house in Haut-Rhin. © Radio France – Guillaume Chhum
Near Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, the haunted house of the Goyat family
For four years, Mickaël Goyat has been decorating the family home at La Glacerie in Cherbourg (Manche). Each year, the metamorphosis gains momentum. Around forty skeletons, spiders and even automatons on the facade attracts the curious. In addition to purchasing decorations – there are 1,000 euros worth of them – you have to plan a candy budget for the children who come to ring the doorbell.
“Every year, the children from the school across the street stop to compliment the house”he tells France Bleu Cotentin, “buses also honk at me, they often scare me when I’m at the top of my ladder putting up the decoration!”
The Goyat family house, in Manche, lit up for Halloween. © Radio France – Louison Leroy
In Nilvange (Moselle), a blood jacuzzi awaits you
In Nilvange, it is the mother, Magguy, who is the main organizer of the Halloween festivities, while her husband Christophe prefers the Christmas decorations. It’s a real festival: the porch transformed into a ghost train, skeletons splash in a jacuzzi with “blood”, a giant spider web is spread over the house where a giant pumpkin awaits you.
This represents a lot of work for Magguy, who started preparations in September, she explains to France Bleu Lorraine. It takes imagination and a little recycling: the pumpkin’s teeth were sawn from scraps of parquet. For Halloween night, there will be a light and sound show. More than 150 packages of candy are ready for children who dare to knock on the door.
Maggie and her family pose in front of the house decorated for Halloween in Nilvange. © Radio France – Marc Grandmontagne
A mini funfair on Angélique’s balcony in La Rochelle
The Durands’ balcony in La Rochelle is overflowing with decorations and automatons representing pumpkins, witches and scarecrows. Since she was little, Angélique has loved holidays like Halloween and Christmas. She therefore decided to transform her balcony into a mini funfair: “We do it for us, but people like it, motorists stop”.
With her husband Loïc, she organizes real festivities with costume competition and makeup workshop. “Last year, we must have welcomed between 100 and 200 children! We even had to sit down on the balcony ” he tells France Bleu La Rochelle.
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In Montlouis-sur-Loire (Indre-et-Loire), Valentin invites you into his haunted tunnel
Valentin, passionate about ghosts, skulls and pumpkins, wanted to show the “festive side of Halloween”he explains to France Bleu Touraine. As he had space, he created a haunted tunnel in his garden from Montlouis-sur-Loire. The project took him several months.
The tunnel awaits whoever dares to venture there. A dragon guards the entrance, a scary mannequin welcomes you there. Valentin opens it to the public on Halloween weekend.
A sign at the entrance specifies that there is no risk in entering this tunnel… Really? © Radio France – Dimitri Morgado
The fear labyrinth of La Tour-du-Pin (Isère) mobilizes around twenty volunteers
In La Tour-du-Pin, the Oliveira family transforms their garden into a labyrinth of fear and opens the doors to the public. The adventure began four years ago and the transformation of the house has grown so much that a Halloween Family association was created. Around twenty volunteers are working to build and install the decor in Geoffroy Oliveira’s garden. And on the evening of October 31, they started in the shoes of actors to scare visitors.
The family is expecting a lot of people this October 31. In 2023, 300 people came, sometimes from far away, “from Lyon, from Chambéry, from Belley in Ain” explains Geoffroy to France Bleu Isère. A space dedicated to the little ones is set up outside the labyrinth, which is not recommended for the youngest.
In La Tour-du-pin in Isère, it takes volunteers more than a month to install the fear maze. © Radio France – Noémie Philippot
In Lucbardez-et-Bargues (Landes), “10 kilos of candy” and “20 kilos of nightmares”
In the Landes, in the village of Lucbardez-et-Bargues, the Hardion family has been working on their Halloween decorations for two months. It was Tiffany, the daughter, who thought of all the decor with her brother Tim. “We do this for the children”entrust the brother and sister, aged 24 and 31, to France Bleu Gascogne. In the garden, skeletons rub shoulders with zombies. The house is barricaded and bloody hands protrude from the garage. The highlight of the show: a giant spiderperched on the roof of the house.
This Thursday, children and their parents are invited to come see the decorated house. “We have planned 10 kilos of candy”says Lydie, the mother. “And 20 kilos of nightmares”adds her husband Philippe, hilarious.
Tim, his cousin Amandine, dad Philippe, Lydie and her daughter Tiffany, cousin Jennifer, in front of the decorated house in Lucbardez-et-Bargues. © Radio France – François Breton
A pirate den in Dijon
In the Bourraches district of Dijon, Létitia chooses every year a new theme to decorate your house at Halloween time. After the witches in 2023, this year it’s the pirates. A suggestion from Létitia’s eldest son, Renan, aged 6. On the program: treasure chests, skulls, spider webs… A transformation of the place that intrigues the neighbors and enlivens the neighborhood.
The mother has been working on the decorations since the summer and mainly relies on recycled materials, as she explains to France Bleu Bourgogne: ‘”I made palm trees with parquet floor insulation and plumbing pipes. I also found pallets in recycling centers or on the street. My brother had redone his kitchen and I recovered his old cupboard doors to make the entrance to the harbor master’s office.
In Dijon, the decoration of the pirate house is made from recycled materials. © Radio France – Flora Granchette
Decoration competition in Clayes-sous-Bois (Yvelines)
Les Clayes sous-bois, in Yvelines, is organizing its 2024 3ᵉ concours d’Halloween to choose the house that scares the most. “We see that it’s starting stronger than last year. We have around thirty participants” estimates Philippe Guiguen, the mayor, to France Bleu Paris,“It’s part of everything that can bring a little joy, a little animation to our city” he continues.
This is how Charlotte decorated her house following the theme of the competition “El dia de los Muertos”, in French “The Day of the Dead”, celebrated in Mexico at the same period. It’s almost too pretty to be scary.
In Clayes-sous-Bois, Jessica’s house is decorated on the theme “El dia de los muertos”. © Radio France – Jessica, resident of Clayes-sous-Bois
Ct of Dijon, the Bourgeois family has gone all out this Halloween by transforming their home into a pirate-themed den. Complete with treasure chests, skull decorations, and a makeshift pirate ship, their house is a sight to behold. The decorations are a blend of creativity and imagination, aimed at capturing the essence of a swashbuckling adventure. “Arrr, matey!” echoes through the neighborhood as children and adults alike marvel at the festive setup.
The family has engaged the entire neighborhood by inviting others to participate in the Halloween festivities. Word has spread quickly, and more houses are getting into the spirit, with some crafting their own pirate decorations to join in the fun. “It’s great to see the community come together,” says a neighbor, “we’re not just celebrating Halloween; we’re creating lasting memories!”
This year, the Bourgeois family plans on hosting a mini treasure hunt for the local kids, filled with candy and prizes. It’s events like these that truly highlight the playful spirit of Halloween and bring the community closer together. In the weeks leading up to the event, they’re constructing a small pirate-themed maze in their yard, adding to the excitement for all participating families.
With pumpkins, pirates, and plenty of tricks and treats, it’s clear that Halloween in France is turning into a spirited extravaganza, one decoration at a time. As towns and families come together to share in the joy of the season, it feels like Halloween has truly taken root and made its mark in the heart of French culture. Get ready for a night filled with laughter, scares, and perhaps a few pirate shanties! Happy Halloween! 🎃⚓️
