Last night we had a couple of new friends come over and celebrate Halloween with us. No big deal you say, excepting that the couple is from France, where they really don’t celebrate Halloween.

What?!?

Yup, another American “Hallmark Holiday” somehow does not catch on overseas: go figure. But how can this happen?!? It is American, and therefore must be everywhere, you say. Truthfully, a LOT of people around the world don’t celebrate this “holiday” and others. Considering our history as a colony of the UK, it is no surprise that this festive event made it across the pond, and managed to be transformed into the sugared-up-preteen-devils-night-pumpkin madness and marketing frenzy that it is.

It was fun to watch our European friends carve their first pumpkins, slicing, stabbing and tearing out the guts like vegan werewolves. They now have the answer to what Halloween is now: a fun event more than a Holiday, a license to dress up, wear high heels, whatever floats your boat. In essence, Halloween, for what its history belies, is a lot of fun for kids and adults that want to act like kids for one night. Even people from France.

For more on France at ITKT
For more on USA at ITKT