🎃 Halloween 2025 – Learning English and French Through Frights, Fun, and a Bit of Mischief

Halloween has always been one of my favourite times of year — a mix of laughter, chills, and creativity that reminds us how playful culture can be. For language learners, it’s also the perfect opportunity to explore new vocabulary, discover traditions, and see how English and French share more than just ghosts and pumpkins.

People Celebrate Halloween in the USA and France

👻 A Little History Behind the Scares

Over 2,000 years ago, the Celts celebrated Samhain, marking the end of the harvest and the start of the “dark half” of the year. People believed the spirits of the dead returned on this night, so they lit bonfires and wore costumes to keep them away.

When Christianity spread, November 1st became All Saints’ Day (La Toussaint in French), and the evening before turned into All Hallows’ Eve — eventually shortened to Halloween. By the 20th century, the American version of Halloween — with trick-or-treating, jack-o-lanterns, and spooky decorations — had become a pop-culture phenomenon.

🕸️ My Halloween Memories

I love Halloween! Growing up in the U.S., I always dressed up in costumes — and yes, I used to love pranking. We’d teepee houses with toilet paper, throw jack-o-lanterns, and sometimes scare our neighbours (harmlessly, of course!). I don’t do those things anymore, but I still love celebrating Halloween by carving pumpkins, watching scary movies, and dressing up in something ridiculous.

What fascinates me now is how Halloween keeps evolving, especially in France. Every year, I see more costumes in shop windows, more themed parties, and more bilingual events where English and French meet around the same cauldron.

📺 Learn Languages Through Halloween

Television shows and YouTube channels love celebrating Halloween — and they’re great tools for learning English and French!

One of my favourite examples is Learn English With TV Series, which uses an Halloween episode of Modern Family to teach real-life vocabulary and humour. In it, the character Claire tries to terrify her neighbourhood with dramatic haunted-house tricks — and learners can pick up expressions like “trick or treat!” and “you scared me to death!”

Another clever choice is an Halloween episode of Superstore, which explores cultural sensitivity in choosing costumes. It’s funny, thought-provoking, and a perfect reminder that language and culture always go hand in hand.

For French practice, the channel  Easy Languages features Halloween en France | Easy French 70, where people in the streets of Paris share how they celebrate (or don’t). Some talk about personal or cultural reasons for not celebrating, while others recall trick-or-treating memories from childhood — a fascinating glimpse into how French traditions differ from American ones.

And if you’re feeling creative, try YouTube tutorials like Five Easy Halloween Treats in 15 Minutes or Less (by Tasty Recipes) or Halloween Crochet Ideas by Ikoxun. Whether you’re baking spooky snacks or crafting autumn-themed decorations, it’s a fun bilingual way to celebrate and learn.

🧠 Halloween as a Language Lesson

Cultural moments like Halloween are full of useful language. You can learn expressions like trick or treat, scary, haunted house, or costume party — and compare them to their French equivalents. Watching films or TV series in English (with French subtitles, or vice versa) is a great way to expand vocabulary while getting into the spirit of the season.

In my courses, I often use seasonal themes like Halloween to make learning more memorable. It’s a fun way to explore cultural nuances, pronunciation challenges (try saying “ghost” or “witch” with the right vowel sound!), and even grammar patterns found in spooky stories.

For those following an English course with CPF in Vincennes or learning online through E-learning, these real-world topics make vocabulary stick — because you connect the language to something you actually enjoy.

🧛 Halloween 2025 in France

From pumpkin festivals to ghost tours, Halloween in France has grown into a full season of activities:

• Disneyland Paris will host its annual Disney Halloween Festival from October 1 to November 2, 2025, featuring Disney villains, parades, and a special late-night Halloween Party on October 31.

• The Jardin d’Acclimatation will transform into a world of skeletons, musicians, and fire dancers for its “Día de los Muertos / Halloween” event running from October 4 to November 2, 2025.

• For adults, venues like La Felicità in Paris 13 are planning their traditional Halloween Party on October 31, 2025, with DJs, costumes, and free entry.

• Cultural sites such as the Paradox Museum Paris will host Halloween Nights (October 27 – November 1), offering immersive illusions and haunted décor.

Whether family-friendly or frightfully festive, these events show how Halloween in France continues to blend English-speaking traditions with local creativity.

🕯️ From Trick-or-Treating to Talking

Whether you’re taking an English course in Vincennes, studying French online, or simply curious about culture, Halloween reminds us that language learning works best when it’s personal and fun. Like putting on a costume, learning a language lets you step into a new identity, try out new sounds, and surprise yourself.

So this October, carve a pumpkin, watch a scary movie in your target language, and see how far a little fright can take your fluency.

Happy Halloween — or as we say in French, Joyeux Halloween !