Amid towering trees draped in ribbons and baubles, charming markets, and sounds of children laughing as they glide about ice rinks or spin on singing carousels, Paris is aglow in rich traditions of Christmas. A wintertime sojourn to this luminescent capital city enchants with iconic sites dressed in holiday trimmings.
Against the chilly silhouette of a winter night, the City of Light is never brighter than at Yuletide. By mid-November, the first harbingers of holiday magic appear: a whisper of tinsel and a twinkle of bulbs in the branches. Soon, like a snuggly wound scarf, all of Paris is enveloped in the spirit of Christmas.
While a shopping spree is always fruitful in Paris, annual window displays make the activity even more eye-catching. In 1893, Le Bon Marché, one of Europe’s oldest department stores, fashioned a scene of graceful skaters gliding across a frozen pond, but in 1909, the company hired a mechanical doll-maker to render a miniature interpretation of Commodore Robert Peary’s North Pole expedition. Ever since, locales from Galeries Lafayette to Printemps Haussmann unveil theatrical displays complete with interactive figurines—a tradition growing in spectacle each year, as friendly competition spurs greater unveilings.
Beyond large emporiums, wooden chalets cluster in the streets, overflowing with charming trinkets and tasty treats.Wander between booths sipping on vin chaud, a warming mulled wine, in pursuit of artisan gifts.When feet grow weary from perusing treasures and munching roasted chestnuts, there is no shortage of hotels and eateries waiting to host with festive trimmings and holiday pastries. Enjoy a cozy Christmas brew in Salon Proust at the Ritz, or sip steaming hot chocolate at iconic Parisian teahouse Angelina.
By the first weeks of January, glitz and glamour are packed away until next year, but between cheery showcases and heartwarming markets, a Parisian sojourn promises snow-kissed memories to tuck deep in one’s heart.Photography Georgianna Lane
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