Christmas Atmosphere 2024-2025 in Paris

Christmas time is lovely in Paris. One of the major attractions of the season is the Christmas lights on Champs-Elysees. Other lavishly decorated streets include Avenue Montaigne, Place Vendôme, the Montmartre district, Bercy Village, and other places across the city. Glowing fir-trees abound, decorations ornate the entire city center, Christmas carols fill the air, and Christmas markets offer plenty of cute trinkets. The festive season typically starts in early December.

However, the main attraction is definitely Christmas Eve, to be more precise—the festive dinner named Le Réveillon, meaning the Eve. Families gather at Christmas tables featuring a traditional menu including a turkey, un bouche de noel cake, oysters or escargots, and foie gras. At night Pere Noel, that is Santa Claus, fills shoes with presents, and the next morning the entire city sleeps, offering you a rare occasion to stroll across empty Parisian streets and enjoy the festive silence. Christmas season continues into early January.

Paris department stores take Christmas decorations to a whole new level. Check out Paris Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps located on brightly-lit for the holidays Boulevard Haussmann. BHV on 14 Rue du Temple and Bon Marché on 24 Rue de Sèvres are also famous for their Christmas displays.