FRANCE is a country full of intellectual people. Or that’s what people from all over the world have as an impression. Located in the European mainland, France is said to be the most romantic place in the continent thanks to its very beautiful architectural works which have been preserved by their government – works such as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Speaking of the Notre Dame Cathedral – even if it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site – it is still used as a place of worship today. Right now, thousands upon thousands of people flock at the cathedral to celebrate All Saints Day, France being a predominantly Catholic country. The day before and the day after are also important holidays in the Catholic calendar of France. October 31 is the culmination of Rosary Month which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary while November 2 is All Souls Day.

And consider this – November 1 is a public holiday in France just like in Spain and the Philippines and certain other countries in the world. It is when the French folks troop to the cemeteries to visit their loved ones who have been entombed there. They offer not just flowers but also the favorite food of their loved ones. It is not surprising therefore to find a bowl of bouillabaisse at the foot of the tomb of a loved one here in France. All Saints Day is actually the feast of all saints who don’t have a specific day commemorated for them. And since Catholics believe that all souls who have died are assumed as saints, that’s why they visit the cemeteries at this point in time.

Toussaint is only for Catholics though but not all of France is Catholic. There are a lot of Muslims in this country and they do not celebrate Toussaint at all. The other alternative to Toussaint for them is to celebrate the highly-commercialized Halloween. During Halloween which is celebrated every October 31, the non-Catholics scour around the neighborhood looking for candies which are usually chocolate. This is the treat-or-trick that we all know about. For the non-Catholics, the day after is funnily considered a holiday because it is called The Day That We Fall Sick from Eating All of the Chocolate.

But Catholics have their own celebration on October 31 here in France. It is the culmination of Rosary Month and everywhere around the country, balloons are flown and whoever retrieves these blue rosary-shaped balloons gets a prize. They are usually in the forms of a one-night stay for two at some of the luxury hotels here.

The hotels in France are some of the best in the world. After all, students from top Swiss hospitality schools are sent here for their internships. All of these hotels – the Marriott, the Sheratons, the Hiltons and the Ritz Carlton – are stamped the blue flag accreditation, the highest accreditation a hospitality establishment in Europe can ever get. Hotels here in France have their own version of Halloween parties. They get down gyrating every night during Halloween week, looking for the spookiest costume wearers among the audience. They then give special prizes like novelty items to these lucky patrons.