Six thousand kilometres away, across the Atlantic, Mark is probably slipping on a Scream mask and tentatively going trick-or-treating. It’s pouring tonight in Ottawa, thanks to tropical moisture from Hurricane Melissa. No scenes of devastation are expected, but Melissa is drenching dreams of a fun, candy-filled, scary night in the neighbourhood.

It’s still warm in my corner of France, and it didn’t rain at all tonight. Too bad Halloween is mostly a North American tradition…

Or is it?

From the balcony, I just saw a unicorn, a Ninja Turtle, and Harley Quinn step into the corner store downstairs.

“What are they all doing? Buying booze?” my mum asked.

“It’s obviously a candy emergency,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

“Yeah, sorry, stupid question.”

Halloween isn’t really supposed to be a thing in France, but retailers are trying hard to make it the new cool tradition to trick consumers into spending before the big Christmas shopping season. Many supermarkets and shops have put up fun Halloween-themed window displays and delicious fancy treats—in France, a holiday is only a holiday if you can use it as an excuse to eat something special.

I thought that would be it: a few plastic skeletons, chocolate ghosts, marzipan pumpkins, and zombie-green pistachio éclairs.

But tonight, I stumbled upon a scary clown, then Ghostface, then a pack of zombies… and just like during Carnival in Brazil, spooky and silly costumes have taken over the city. Meanwhile, kids are going from shop to shop asking for candy.

It’s past midnight, and the parties are just getting started.

I guess Halloween has kind of taken off after all—or at least, it’s a fun excuse to say goodbye to October around here.