So reported major French newspapers on Tuesday, October 31. It seems the celebration of Halloween which was pushed in France in the late 1990s is losing popularity. The daily French newspaper Le Monde quoted the head of costume company Cesar who said that Halloween in France is “pretty much buried” due to “a cultural reaction linked to the rise of anti-Americanism.”

The holiday has always been controversial in France, and many have lacked interest because they do not understand what is being celebrated. The pushed trend is dying down now so much so that a group called “Non a Halloween,” established to fight the popularity of Halloween in France, has disbanded, their mission complete.

“Halloween was a marketing gimmick aimed mainly at children,” said former president of the group, Arnaud Guyot-Jeannin. “It’s a big festival of consumption selling outfits, masks, gadgets and it couldn’t last forever.”