No tricks, just treats

There's no denying it - Halloween is just not the same here in France.  While you'll see a few decorations here and there nearing the end of October, its far from what I grew up with.  As a child, I remember the whole neighborhood being lit up with front porch lights, yards converted into make-believe cemeteries and that house or two that went all out with Thriller music playing and a ridiculous amount of effort going into scaring the crap out of trick or treaters.

The Halloween atmosphere here is much - well, quieter.  No celebrations at school and no real Halloween themed parties.  Its made me realize how there are many aspects of my childhood that will not be the same for my children.  While its not a huge thing, its a strange feeling to not be able to pass on similar traditions.  I did my best by having Audrey watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" on YouTube and having her participate in a Halloween party for the American association that I am involved with.  I thought I had done enough until she came to me a couple days before Halloween and said, "Mama, I want to ring someone's door bell and get candy".  It's funny - she said it with such a sad tone that it was almost as if she was saying she wanted to walk on the moon or something.  It broke my heart to have such a simple childhood memory for me seem like an elusive dream for her.

So I got to work.  I asked around and apparently the neighboring village has a handful of families that buy candy and welcome trick or treaters.  Luckily, Jean has childhood friends (now with kids of their own) who live in the town so we decided to give trick or treating a shot.  We stopped at a good 8-10 houses and the kids were welcomed with handfuls of candy and big smiles.  Even thought the ambiance was much different from what I remember as a child, there is something intensely Halloween about walking in the crisp, dark night while leaves crunch underneath your feet.  I'd like to think that my mission was achieved - Audrey had such a huge grin on her face all evening.

I am now realizing how different her childhood will be from mine because of where we grew up.  Thank goodness for Charlie Brown holiday specials to try and bridge some cultural gaps ; )

So what was our little tricker treater dressed as?  We looked up Halloween costumes online and she passed through page after page of princesses and butterflies and stopped the moment she saw the hula girl...

Actual appearance (when living in Northeast France!)

Amazon.fr portrayal of outfit