In France, Halloween is just a fun day for kids, which makes it insignificant. It is not a paid holiday, which makes it pointless. And more damning still, in the French mind it is associated with America.

HALLOWEEN DECLARED DEAD IN FRANCE

LONDON October 31, 2006 (Forbes) - Le Halloween est mort. French newspapers say so.

The major dailies Le Monde and Le Parisien reported on Tuesday that following some short-lived popularity, the Halloween holiday has been "pretty much buried." The reasons seem to be a mixture of falling sales and anti-Americanism. Perchance a smattering of protectionism too.

... The costume company César, which should otherwise be having a blowout month, proffered the "buried" quote, adding that the death of the holiday was linked to a rise in anti-Americanism.

... For the uninitiated, Halloween was not born from the mind of an American marketing executive but the Pagan Celtic celebration of Samhain in the British Isles, where it was once believed that spirits would rise from the dead and mingle with the living.

... "Non a [sic] Halloween [CNAH or CNH, Collectif Non À Halloween]," a French group set up to stop the trend, has even disbanded, its mission deemed complete. It seems the boycott of this thoroughly commercialized, Americanized event, and entreaty for people to refuse to enjoy it, has worked.

On Wednesday, while Anglophones are gorging themselves on leftover Halloween treats, the French will decorously observe All Saints Day by not working.

[Emphases added.]

There is help available at a reasonable cost for French fear of Halloween. Alas, there is no cure for French fear of America.

PFFT (What is this?): Samhainophobia 4 | Secular France opts for Catholic holiday over pagan fun 4 | Rayonnement français 0

Quite astonishing to put the blame on someone for the failure of a trend to stay forever.

Halloween has no historical ground in France (sure Celtic grounds; hum, haven't noticed that Halloween was not celebrated in France since more than a millenium?), it has been imported from marketing purpose. Seemingly, French at this moment have other issues to deal with. Why making a fuss of this marketing failure and claiming it must be anti-americanism? Do you really believe that the guys that where completely anti-american one year ago just realized this year that not celebrating halloween would be a wonderful political stand?

In France, we don't believe in ghosts, and we don't need our scientists to attempt to prove this obvious fact....

In the US, 22% of people declare that yes, ghost exists....

Celebrating this dummy Haloween to longly alterate people's brain.

M. Patoulatchi,

If you had read carefully, you would know that Pave is not blaming "someone" for the failure of Halloween in France. It is not popular and it is not commercially successful, which is as much as we have reported. Nor is it Pave that has made a connection between the commercial failure of Halloween and anti-Americanism, it is France's premier fancy dress and party costumer, a business, we would imagine, that knows something of the whys and wherefores of its market.

We make no claims for Halloween in France beyond those in the article, which describes Halloween as of British origin.

We are aware France has other pressing issues, but not as you seem to suggest any that she is busy remedying "at the moment".

We leave you to your muzzy readings elsewhere behind your half-balloon of reisling.

DGB