Christmas in Paris – les vitrines

It’s that time of year – the Paris Christmas decorations and window displays are up and revealed in the city of light.  I always enjoy showing my students the different displays.  There is a different theme each year, and the amount of work that goes into these is crazy. Christmas in Paris is a magical time for young and old.

There are four big department stores that set up their Christmas window displays – and in 2021 a 5th store added their own display. The design teams start planning for the next season’s display a year in advance. A theme is chosen, and sketches are made of what each window will look like. Many of the decorations are custom built, so this takes quite a bit of time!

The windows are covered up so that the workers can put the display together in secret and then the paper is removed, and the displays are revealed in early November. The displays are free to view, and parents bring their children to enjoy the show. They even put up little benches outside for the smallest children to stand on so they can see everything!

There are many things you can do to celebrate Christmas in Paris and students will definitely enjoy learning about the holiday and what things are new and different. While many stores in the US do put up holiday displays, they simply aren’t as fancy or as overwhelming as the Paris displays.

Christmas in Paris – shopping!

If viewing the window displays isn’t how you’d like to celebrate Christmas in Paris – maybe you’d rather do some shopping – the Christmas markets are another holiday tradition in France. There are several outdoor marchés de Noël where you can buy holiday treats such as mulled wine or roasted chestnuts while shopping for holiday gifts and decorations. The markets are open throughout the month of December. Some even include attractions such as a Ferris Wheel or an ice skating rink!

Are you looking for Christmas activities for your classes? Check these out!