France in December

The Alsace region in France is renowned for its enchanting Christmas markets, with Strasbourg and Colmar being the most famous, offering a magical festive atmosphere from late November to December. The Christmas markets in eastern France are famous around the world, some of the oldest and most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe and make a magical experience to have in December! Most Christmas markets in Alsace https://www.christmas.alsace/ will open four weeks before Christmas. In the bigger towns and cities, these will finish in the first week of January, but in small towns and villages, the markets will close for the year the night before Christmas.

At the beginning of December, many people, churches and other public spaces around France assemble their Nativity scenes (crèche de Noel in French). But these are likely on a different scale to what you’ve seen before, often consisting of dozens of different handmade figurines. The santons, or handcrafted clay figurines https://www.provenceguide.co.uk/experience/experiences-provence/provencal-christmas-traditions/ , represent the trades and professions of the village, adding a unique touch to the scene. These scenes go beyond the actual Nativity scene itself, depicting traditional Provence life in centuries gone by, with many of the typical trades and domestic roles represented by each of the figurines. The constructions recreate typical Provençal settings with houses, churches, village squares, and alley-ways. 

The Loire Valley’s castles https://www.loirevalley-france.co.uk/discover/loire-chateaux/christmas-chateaux-step-spirit/are transformed into enchanting winter wonderlands during the Christmas season. If you’re visiting the castles of the Loire Valley at Christmas, you’ll see that many of them are beautifully decorated. Christmas in a centuries old castle is something quite magical!

Dating back to the 19th century, Lyon’s Festival of Lights https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/en is an important tradition in this part of eastern France, and a strong part of the city’s identity. Around December 8th every year, the streets of Lyon glow with soft candlelight as every household places candles outside their windows. The festival normally lasts for four days, centering around the 8th, with other activities and light shows and events.