02 November 2007

Halloween in Menton


Maybe 10 years ago, perhaps less, Halloween wasn't the big thing in France that it is now - certainly in Menton, anyway. Now it's very popular as you can see - with children and also with adults in the clubs and bars of Monte Carlo.

These photos were taken in the walking street of Menton and in the bottom three, you'll see children queueing up in Jeff de Bruges, (window display just above) a very expensive hand-made chocolate shop. The children weren't given chocolates though but handfuls of boiled sweets. Click on the link if you want to drool over chocolate!

I had mistakenly thought that Trick or Treating only took place when children visited neighbourhood houses or apartments. Do shops hand out sweets in your city?

11 comments:

  1. How fun for these children, to gather together in costume and stop with outstretched hands at the shops.

    Sometimes shops here give treats to all comers, dressed or not, old and young.

    I'm wondering, Jilly, how do children ask for their treats? Trick or treat in French? Could you write that for me?

    The blue ball in my post yesterday keeps me from wanting to eat too much when I reflect on how I'd feel if I were so round and full and tight!

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  2. Over the years I have found that almost anything "catches on" and is heavily advertised by manufacturers whose products contribute to the success or failure of the thing, and Halloween is one of those. There used to be pitiful face masks held on by rubber bands and the mast itself was made of painted cheese cloth. Now you can get anything made in rubber latex that looks like whomever you want to buy and pay for.

    Thankfully, our Halloween "trick or treat" night when the kids prowl with parents for treats, is over for another year.

    oldmanlincoln

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  3. Abraham, my neighbour is incensed with Halloween! She feels it's an American tradition, imported into France for commercial gain only. Probably right!

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  4. une belle brochette d'halloween. ils sont superbes.

    Skewer a nice Halloween. They are superb.

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  5. Nice pictures Jilly. In Miami, the trick or treating was interrupted every so often by the rain from tropical storm Noel but that did not stop the kids!
    Stores here give treats to kids, especially in malls.

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  6. A real nice montage! Funny how...Halloween is starting to take off here in Europe. The same thing is happening in Poland. Bars and Clubs are decorated, etc...

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  7. What a hoot !! Great collage Jilly!!!

    Halloween is not celebrated in PNG but pockets of expatriates around the county often do their own private parties

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  8. Fine photo collage, Jilly. I'm still drooling over the chocolates! Thanks for explaining about the blue globe and the gold star--I appreciate it.

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  9. Lovely photos! Yes, shops in my town give out candy, usually on the Thursday before Halloween. Hundreds of children participate. One shop owner told me she had more than 400 children in 1.5 hours.

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  10. After EuroDisney, Halloween! Where is France going to? ;)

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  11. Great witches! our shops hand out treats, and a few years ago I helped out a shopowner friend--we noticed most of the little girls were princesses, brides queens and ballerinas and all the boys were non human things like robots and dinosaurs and monsters. Now Pirates are in vogue!

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