Oct 4th, 2017, 08:23 PM

Just A Bunch of Hocus Pocus

By Alyssa Belton
Image Credit: Unsplash/freestocks.org
Let these tips creep into your Halloween routine

Halloween is not a widely celebrated holiday in France. But if you are a die-hard Halloween enthusiast that can’t part with your witchy ways, then you’re in luck. This October has a wealth of ghoulish offerings to satiate your spooktacular appetite.

Halloween came into being nearly 2,000 years ago via the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. They believed that during this festival spirits and ghosts alike would roam the earth. The Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off the entities; this festival formed the basis of Halloween.  After years of being introduced to different religions and cultures, it snowballed into the candy-centric holiday we know and love today.

Check out the list of tricks and treats to keep you spooked this Halloween season!

1. Scary Movies:

Slide into your Halloween mood with a visual fright fest. Treat yourself to a clown phobia with It or Annabelle: Creation both of which are showing in theaters this month. If you are in the mood for some old school gore, catch the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It will be showing at the Gaumont Pathe on the Champs Elysees on October 19 at 8 p.m.

2. Halloween Cocktails:

Brew up these cocktails in your cauldron and invite over your favorite witches for a monster movie marathon.

3. Halloween Trivia:

Win big at the AUP Halloween trivia night on October 20th at 6:30 p.m in the AMEX. If you know your Halloween movies and traditions then you and your team could win a Starbucks gift card.

4. Manoir de Paris:

This multi-leveled house of horrors doubles as a show and a maze. The Manoir guarantees 45 minutes of fear. Tickets are available now for those who dare. Check out their teaser below. 

5. Oktoberfest:

The beer-oriented fest has finally come to Paris from the fifth to the 14. Celebrate this month with a full pint of Bavarian culture.

6. Escape Room:

Leave-In Room offers four different escape room scenarios; one of which includes the gore lord Jigsaw himself. These rooms are filled with riddles that you and your friends must solve to make it out alive. Good luck.

7. Disneyland Paris:

Join Mickey and his friends for a light-hearted and magical celebration from now until November first.


Image credit: Flickr/Clem

8. Podcasts:

Add a creepy soundtrack to your school day with a horror podcasts. You can expect ghost stories, mysteries and large-scale audio dramas. You cannot go wrong with, Chilling Tales, Lore, The Darkest Night, The Dark Tome, My Favorite Murder and Spooked. All of which are available for free on iTunes.

9. Go costume shopping:

Fashion your award-winning look at your favorite vintage shop or check out some of Paris' costume stores. The recommended ones are: Au Fou Rire, Au Clown De La Republique, and A La Poupee Merveilleuse

10. The Catacombs:

Reach Halloween level 100 and visit the Catacombs. Get as far as you possibly can from the realm of the living and walk among the remains of 6 million people. Why now? Because Halloween is life, that's why.


Image credit: Flickr/Jorge Láscar

11. Take a Ghostly Tour :

Embark on a two-hour night tour filled with Paris’s most sinister locations and urban legends and also visit spooky movie sets like Interview with a Vampire. This tour also includes a medieval banquet dinner and free drinks. Blending in with the ghouls you'll be getting to know is a must, so wearing a costume is highly encouraged. Email info@setinparis.com from your AUP email for a witchin' discount.

12. Books:

Nightmares, no problem! Tuck yourself in with one of the terrifying page-turners deemed as the scariest books of all time by clicking the link above. It's like chicken soup for the soul but... the soup is green goop inside a cauldron mixed by a cackling witch.

13. Parties:

If you are in town for Halloween this is your chance to sport your meticulously crafted costume. There is a large list of parties to choose from that include, clubs, bars, boats, a park and a castle, so your Hallows Eve can be both frightening and eventful. 

Keep your eyes on the AUP Event Calendar as more Halloween activities are sure to appear as the month progresses. 

Whether it be a trick or a treat, we hope this list has something to meet your Halloween needs. Stay safe this Hallows' Eve but above all, have fun!