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Christmas in Paris: the lights or the dinner?
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When does Christmas start in Paris?
Earlier than in a French home. The department stores unveil their windows in the first half of November, the Champs-Élysées lights go on in the second half, and the markets open at the end of the month. It all stays up until the first week of January, when the galette des rois takes over the bakery windows.
If you can choose, go in the first three weeks of December. Everything is lit, the markets are open, and Paris is still working and shopping, which is part of the show. From the 24th, many Parisians leave to spend Christmas with family elsewhere in France.
Where are the Christmas lights in Paris?
The Champs-Élysées first: the trees along the avenue are wrapped in lights from the Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. In 2025 they were switched on on 16 November and stayed on until 4 January, every evening until midnight, and all night on the 24th and the 31st. The 2026 date is announced in the autumn.
Then Avenue Montaigne and Place Vendôme, where the fashion and jewellery houses dress their own façades, and Boulevard Haussmann, for the department stores. A good walk at dusk: from the Concorde up the Champs-Élysées, and back down Avenue Montaigne.
The department store windows
Every year Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, side by side on Boulevard Haussmann, build animated Christmas windows. In 2025 Printemps opened its windows on 6 November and Galeries Lafayette on 12 November, and both stayed until early January. Inside the Galeries Lafayette, the giant tree under the glass dome is the photograph everyone takes.
Le Bon Marché on the Left Bank and La Samaritaine by the Pont Neuf decorate too, and are calmer. If you have children with you, go on a weekday morning.
Are there Christmas markets in Paris?
Yes, though they are small next to the markets of Alsace. Strasbourg’s has run since 1570, and it is under two hours from Paris by train. The Paris markets are rows of wooden chalets selling vin chaud, crêpes, cheese and decorations: go for an hour, not a day. The dates the organisers have announced for 2026:
| Market | Where | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|
| La Défense | The esplanade | 12 November to 31 December |
| Notre-Dame | Square René-Viviani (5th) | 26 November to 27 December |
| Saint-Germain-des-Prés | Boulevard Saint-Germain (6th) | 27 November to 6 January |
| Eiffel-Branly | Quai Jacques-Chirac (7th) | 5 December to 3 January |
| Montmartre | Place des Abbesses (18th) | Not yet announced |
| Alsatian market | Gare de l’Est (10th) | Not yet announced |
Dates can move. Check the market’s own page before you go.
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Take the quizWhat is open on the 24th and the 25th?
On the 24th, shops and bakeries are open and the bakeries are very busy: it is the day Parisians collect their bûche. Many shops close earlier than usual. In the evening, the restaurants that open serve a special réveillon menu at a set price. Book weeks ahead.
The 25th is a public holiday and most shops are closed. The Louvre closes on 25 December; the Eiffel Tower is open every day of the year. The metro runs its Sunday and holiday service.
Christmas Eve mass at Notre-Dame, reopened in December 2024 after the fire, is the most sought-after in the city. Expect long queues.
What to eat at Christmas in Paris
Roasted chestnuts, marrons chauds, sold from carts on the street. Vin chaud at the markets. Oysters, which are at their best in winter, from any brasserie with an oyster stand outside. And a bûche from a pâtisserie: in December they are in every window. If you would rather make one, here is our bûche de Noël recipe.
How Parisians spend Christmas
At home. The lights and the markets are for walking through in December; Christmas itself is a family dinner on the evening of the 24th. Sacha grew up in Paris, and that is how his family did it: the réveillon on the 24th, oysters and foie gras, a bûche, and the presents opened that same night. The whole French version is in how the French celebrate Christmas.
That is the one part of a Paris Christmas a visitor cannot buy: a seat at a French family’s table. The closest thing is a réveillon menu in a good restaurant.
Choosing where to stay? Find the Paris neighborhood that matches yours, then plan your first day in Paris.
Questions, answered
When does Christmas start in Paris?
The department store windows open in early November, the Champs-Élysées lights in the second half of November, and the Christmas markets at the end of November. Everything stays up until early January.
When are the Champs-Élysées Christmas lights switched on?
In mid to late November. In 2025 they were switched on on 16 November and lit every evening until 4 January 2026, all night on 24 and 31 December.
Where are the Christmas markets in Paris in 2026?
La Défense (12 November to 31 December), Notre-Dame (26 November to 27 December), Saint-Germain-des-Prés (27 November to 6 January) and Eiffel-Branly (5 December to 3 January). Montmartre and the Gare de l’Est have not announced their dates yet.
Is Paris open on Christmas Day?
Mostly not. 25 December is a public holiday and most shops are closed. The Eiffel Tower is open, the Louvre is closed and the metro runs a holiday service.
Is Paris worth visiting at Christmas?
Yes, especially in the first three weeks of December, when everything is lit, the markets are open and the city is still busy. Bring a warm coat: highs are around 8°C (46°F).
Still wondering?
Ask my French husband.
A short ruling in a few seconds. Written by AI from our Journal, in his voice.
He judges America weekly on Instagram, and Le Bulletin collects the best of it.
Before you go
Your First Day in Paris
You land in Paris at nine in the morning. He is watching what you do next.
