Halloween in French: Spooky Words, Songs & Expressions to Learn

Learning French Through Halloween

Halloween isn’t just about scary costumes and candy; it’s also a perfect time to learn something new! For language learners, holidays bring rich vocabulary, unique cultural expressions, and an opportunity to see how words come alive in real celebrations. Whether you’re learning French or English, celebrating Halloween can open the door to creative, thematic learning moments that stick long after the treats are gone. 

At LRDG, we believe in turning everyday experiences into learning opportunities. So this year, let’s embrace the spooky season and explore how Halloween can help you boost your French skills, through vocabulary, music, and culture. 

How to Say “Happy Halloween” in French

The classic greeting is « Joyeuse Halloween ! », though in Quebec, it’s common to hear «  Bonne Halloween ! » too. This phrase is a fun and festive way to celebrate the holiday in French, and it’s a great example of regional variation in language use.

Common French Halloween Vocabulary

The holiday offers many chances to practice verbs, expressions, and nouns that go beyond the basics. Here’s a short list of Halloween vocabulary and phrases to level up your French this season: 

Practicing these words aloud will help you sound more natural and confident. You can even make it fun: label your decorations with their French names or challenge a friend to a “Halloween French quiz” to test your new vocabulary. 

French Halloween Songs for Learners

Music is one of the most enjoyable (and effective) ways to absorb a new language. When you sing along, you unconsciously practice pronunciation, rhythm, and even grammar patterns. Halloween, with its playful yet mysterious atmosphere, is the perfect excuse to build a “spooky” French playlist and let your ears do the learning! 

When you listen to French songs, focus on repeating lyrics, identifying familiar words, and jotting down new ones. You’ll soon notice that understanding meaning through context becomes easier, and that’s exactly how language fluency grows. 

To get you started, here are a couple of Halloween-inspired French tracks to explore: 

• “This Is Halloween” (French Version)

The iconic song from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), translated into French. It captures the eerie charm of Halloween with a theatrical flair, introducing a cast of spooky characters in a delightfully haunting way. 

• ‘C’est l’Halloween’ by Matt Maxwell

A playful and atmospheric song that strings together classic Halloween imagery: witches, ghosts, and shadowy nights. It’s a fun, rhythmic celebration of all things spooky, perfect for setting the mood. 

Put on your headphones, light a (pumpkin-scented) candle, and let French music cast its spell! 

Halloween Expressions and Phrases

If you want to sound more like a native speaker this Halloween, try sprinkling your conversations with these fun idioms and expressions! They’re perfect for adding color to your French. 

• Avoir la chair de poule – To have goosebumps

J’ai la chair de poule à chaque fois que je regarde ce film d’horreur. 

• Faire froid dans le dos – To send shivers down your spine

Cette histoire de fantôme fait vraiment froid dans le dos ! 

• Avoir peur de son ombre – To be scared of your own shadow

Ne sois pas si nerveux.se, tu as peur de ton ombre ! 

• Un cri à glacer le sang – A scream that freezes your blood

J’ai entendu un cri à glacer le sang dans la nuit. 

• Sortir de sa tombe – To rise from the grave (used humorously)

Il est enfin sorti de sa tombe pour venir à la fête ! 

These idioms aren’t just Halloween-appropriate, they’re also excellent tools to make your spoken French more vivid and expressive. 

How Quebec Celebrates Halloween

Although Halloween has its roots in Celtic and North American traditions, its celebration varies across the Francophone world. In Quebec, Halloween feels very familiar to what we see across North America: children dress up, go trick-or-treating, and neighborhoods transform into scenes of creativity and community. What makes it special is the bilingual blend, you might hear “Trick or treat!” at one door and « Des bonbons s’il vous plaît !» at the next. It’s a holiday where French and English coexist naturally, reflecting Canada’s linguistic richness. 

In France, however, Halloween is a more recent import. It gained popularity in the late 1990s but is celebrated differently. While children sometimes go trick-or-treating, it’s less widespread. Instead, the focus often falls on costumes, themed parties, and cultural events for young adults. Interestingly, Halloween also coincides with La Toussaint (All Saints’ Day), a national holiday in France when families visit cemeteries to honor loved ones. This gives the season a mix of playfulness and reflection that’s distinct from the North American version. 

These cultural nuances offer great opportunities for language learning. By exploring how Halloween is perceived in different Francophone regions, learners not only expand their vocabulary but also understand how language reflects local traditions and values. 

LRDG’s bilingual training programs emphasize these cultural dimensions, helping learners connect words to real-world experiences and conversations, whether in French or English. 

Conclusion: Keep the Learning Spirit Alive 

Whether you’re carving pumpkins, singing along to a French tune, or learning new expressions, Halloween reminds us that learning can be both fun and meaningful. At LRDG, we celebrate bilingualism and believe that cultural moments like Halloween offer the perfect backdrop for discovery, curiosity, and connection. 

So, this October 31st, don’t just put on a costume, put on your learning hat, too. Who knows? You might just find that the real magic of Halloween is in the words you learn along the way.