Where does Halloween come from? Origins and history up to France
Every October 31st, pumpkins fill shop windows and costumed children ring doorbells. But few people know that this holiday is not originally American. It comes from Europe, it is much older than we think, and it has traveled a long way before coming back to us. 🎃
A very long journey, before returning to France
Celtic Antiquity. It all begins with Samain, a Celtic festival celebrated over 2000 years ago in Ireland, Scotland, and parts of Gaul. It marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dark season. It was believed that on this date, the boundary between the world of the living and that of the dead thinned, allowing spirits to pass through.
Christianization. In the 9th century, the Catholic Church established All Saints' Day on November 1st. The eve, called All Hallows' Eve, would later give its contracted name: Halloween.
The great Irish exile. In the 19th century, the Great Famine forced hundreds of thousands of Irish to emigrate to the United States. They brought with them their Samain traditions, which gradually transformed through contact with American culture.
Return to France. Long considered an American holiday from afar, Halloween saw a real commercial launch in France at the end of the 1990s. After a strong craze followed by a decline in the 2000s, it remains well-established today, especially around decoration and costume parties.
Why a pumpkin, and not a turnip
The detail is always amusing: originally, in Ireland and Scotland, people carved turnips, not pumpkins. The lantern, meant to represent a wandering soul, was carved from this much harder-to-hollow-out vegetable. Upon arriving in America, Irish immigrants discovered the pumpkin, which was much larger, much easier to carve, and especially very common locally. The replacement happened almost naturally.
The pumpkin we associate with Halloween today is therefore not an original tradition. It is a happy coincidence of local availability.
Come meet us for Halloween
This year, we're not just telling you about Halloween, we're also experiencing it for real, at two markets that perfectly fit our universe.
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026
Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1st November 2026, on Halloween night itself
Halloween today, between folklore and commerce
The spiritual dimension of Samain has almost completely disappeared. What remains is primarily a visual and convivial celebration: decorations, costumes, candy, and an atmosphere now spontaneously associated with the onset of autumn. We already discussed this in our article on why Halloween is already being prepared in July, from the perspective of brands and shops.
For us, this period naturally extends into our most autumnal creations.
Only our glass containers and warmers are sourced from partners. Everything else—the wax, fragrances, pouring, and labels—is made by Mathieu and Franck themselves, in our workshop in Loctudy.
So next October 31st, perhaps you'll think of that ancient Celtic ritual of Samain, hidden behind the pumpkins and costumes. ✨
