kerouac

I know it's a bit early but once the Chrstmas season starts snowballing it becomes really hard to keep up with it all. Anyway, I have already made a little video of the Printemps Christmas windows. Galeries Lafayette won't be unveiling its Christmas windows until November 20th.

Still photos here: Christmas in Paris 2019 | Any Port in a Storm

Please feel free to add your own Christmas stuff here if you don't want to start a special thread.

gomiki

But where is Christmas?

starrs

The first scene reminds me of the Galeries Lafayette windows of 2016.

hetismij2

I thought you must have a time machine doing a trip report from Christmas already!
All a bit creepy tbh. Squirrels making coffee, mice wrecking the place, turkeys celebrating Christmas. Worst of all shades of Pinky and Perky, bringing back childhood trauma. https://nostalgiacentral.com/televis...s/pinky-perky/

kerouac

They have done so many windows on Boulevard Haussmann over the years that it must take huge brainstorming sessions to decide what to do next. Back in the old days when animated movies were rare, one department store always had the Disney contract and the other store would have to go with teddy bears or Barbie's dream life sponsored by Mattel.

Actual Christmas imagery is very rare in secular France. The Christian aspect is left for churches to do but with 8% church attendance in the country, I bet lots of kids have never even seen a crèche. As for Père Noël, he just isn't all that popular anymore for anybody over the age of six. The end of the year is still a festive time and even most of the French Muslim population have Christmas trees and presents on the 25th because the children really want it, but it is absolutely not a religious holiday here.

Pepper_von_snoot

The best Christmas windows in Paris last year were at BHV in the Marais. The theme was Mary Poppins. I would love to see what BHV does this year.

Thin,aristocrat 🎁

Pepper_von_snoot

I also wanted to mention that the toy store next to Cafe Nemours (near the Louvre @Rue Rivoli) had the most beautiful handpainted Christmas trees in the window. I so wanted to buy one but couldn't because the store was closed by the protests of the Gilets Jaunes.

Thin,aristocrat 👑

Macross

I loved those cows at Galeries Lafayette last year. The tree inside was beautiful, not so space age. Munich this year and those windows are always so whimsical.

kerouac

Here is the video for Galeries Lafayette this year, both the windows and the tree inside.

Treesa

Thank you so much, kerouac. You never disappoint with your X-mas offerings.

kerouac

Next up will be the illumination of the Champs Elysées on November 24th. I was up on the terrace of Galeries Lafayette today and saw that the ferris wheel was already in operation.

kerouac

I should mention that I have updated the photos in the link right under the first video in my opening post, and I will continue to do so as the season progresses.

kerouac

I have been doing these reports for quite a few years, but anybody who has not been following my videos might be interested in seeing this old video from earlier in the decade which went a bit viral in Asia.


I will readily admit that the windows of 2013 were the best windows ever, and I have been disappointed every year since then.

gomiki

I love that video! Thank you for posting it.

TPAYT

kerouac.....Thanks for keeping us i the “Paris mood” with the videos. Didn’t know that the Ferris wheel is up again,
Last year it was not there. We left Paris on Nov. 4th....should have stayed a bit longer. Tempted to take a hop over again before Christmas, we’ll see.

Macross

I am now wishing for Paris. TPAYT, go for it.

starrs

Go!

nukesafe

Again, thank you, Kerouac!!!!!

cafegoddess

Thank you Kerouac! How I wish I was still in Paris!

Dee_Dee

As always, thank you for getting me in the mood for my now annual trip to Paris during Christmas! Can't wait (even with the looming strike)!