Christmas is a REALLY magical time to visit Paris. The French LOVE the holiday season – and they do it extremely well. Streets are all decked out in gorgeous holiday lights, food shops put out the most mouthwatering festive treats, and EVERYONE is in an amazing mood. If you’re thinking of planning a trip for this time period, I’ve got you covered in this super detailed guide to Christmas in Paris.
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When do Parisians celebrate Christmas?
The holiday season in Paris tends to start the last full weekend in November and is kicked off with the official ceremony of the switching on of the lights along the Champs Elysées. This is also when the famous holiday window displays begin at the big department stores (more on this below). The festive spirit gradually builds up, with Christmas markets, concerts, and special events throughout December and the festive spirit stays strong until early January.
How do Parisians celebrate Christmas?
I’ll give you some info on special activities below, but it isn’t surprising that food plays a HUGE role during the Christmas season in Paris. The French adore top-quality food items, and the absolute best of these are savored around Christmas. They start to enjoy decadent holiday food over Christmas parties at work or among friends.
The most important holiday feast usually takes place with family on the evening of December 24th. Then for many people, a smaller, but still pretty impressive holiday meal, is feasted on at lunch on the 25th.
Where can you see the best holiday lights and decorations?
The holiday lights are REALLY gorgeous in Paris, and I’ve noticed they get better and better over the 20 years I’ve lived in Paris. Different neighborhoods around the city have started putting up special lights across their main streets. Somewhere along the street, it’ll mention the area’s name, like “Montmartre village” or “rue Montorgueil” and then there’ll be other large strands of lights, in the shape of stars, Christmas trees and other holiday items, draped across the street every 20 feet or so. The result is truly magical.
In general, I’m not the biggest fan of the Champs Elysées because it’s lined with big chain shops and touristy restaurants. But the city puts up very pretty lights on the trees lining the avenue, so it’s worth seeing these if you’re a fan of holiday lights. For a touch of elegance without the slight tackiness of the Champs Elysées, I suggest going to Place Vendome and along rue Saint-Honoré, this is where there are a lot of luxury stores, and the holiday lights here are SPECTACULAR.
Virtually ALL food, clothing, and gift item shops also put up beautiful decorations. Shop owners take pride in their decorations, and rightfully so, they are STUNNING. So taking some strolls, especially along market streets, like rue Montorgueil, rue Cler, or rue de Bretagne, is a great way to take these in. All these streets are along the walking routes of our Paris Itinerary, so that’s a convenient way to see them.
Les Grands Magasins, Paris’s big department stores, always put on amazing window displays. These don’t simply show items for sale, but they follow a certain theme, like “Santa in Space” or “Rock N’ Roll Christmas”. I really liked the “Orient Express” train theme the Printemps had last year and Le Bon Marché had a fun “Gingerbread men” theme a few years ago.
The Galeries Lafayette, behind the Opéra Garnier, is also known for its amazing Christmas tree, which also changes every year. All of these window displays and trees are VERY popular with Parisians, so I suggest going during the week if you can, when they’ll be a little less busy.
Where’s the best Christmas shopping in Paris?
Paris has a LOT of great places for shopping, but where you’ll want to go depends on what kind of shopping you’d like to do. I’ve gone into full detail about the best places for clothing shopping in this article. Among the best places for local shopping in Paris is the Marais, you’ll find all kinds of nice boutiques for clothing, but also gift items. Montmartre has a lot of nice independent shops where you’ll be able to find more unique gift items. I’ve included my favourite shops in both neighborhoods on Day 3 of our Paris Itinerary.
You might also like to stop by a Christmas market or two. There are about a dozen around the city during the holiday season, and I’ve included some of the best as well as some cool eco-friendly holiday markets in this article. Most of the traditional Christmas markets open by late November and have a bunch of little chalets selling different gift items, such as jewelry, scarves and craft items. They usually also have some stands selling typical holiday treats and hot wine and cider, so this makes for a fun activity to do if you’re in Paris for Christmas.
If you’re looking for specialty food items, I’d head to a market street, like rue Montorgueil, rue Cler, or rue Mouffetard. You’ll find the best food shops and holiday treats on these streets. If you’d like to do some holiday food shopping and learn about French holiday food traditions, consider joining this Devour food tour. They’re really fun and informative and your guide will certainly touch on the topic if you’re visiting Paris around the holidays.
What are the vibes like on Christmas Day?
While the ambiance leading up to Christmas is super lively and festive, Christmas day is pretty calm. I could even go as far as to say that the city almost becomes a ghost town. That’s because most shops, museums, and other attractions are closed on the 25th, and Parisians tend to stay indoors and with family.
But there still ARE a few great things you can do, which I’ve brought together in a Christmas Day in Paris guide. The festive vibes pick up again right away on the 26th so it’s calm just on the one day, and on New Year’s Day.
Image Courtesy of Petit Bouillon Pharamond via Facebook
Where can I eat in Paris on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?
Deciding where you’re going to eat in Paris on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is definitely NOT something to leave to chance. A LOT of restaurants are closed on both December 24th and 25th, and the ones that are open tend to get booked up in advance. So I really recommend making a reservation at least a few weeks in advance, and I’ve got some great recommendations below, and for all budgets.
Here are my top picks for restaurants in Paris open on December 24th and/or 25th:
- Petit Bouillon Pharamond – € (open the 24th and 25th): If I was planning on eating out at Christmas, this is likely where I’d go – and it’s super affordable too. This bouillon, which is a restaurant that serves classic French food at bargain prices, has an absolutely STUNNING decor (pictured above), the staff is friendly, and they offer a special holiday menu for around 40€ or you can order à la carte.
- Bouillon Julien – €€ (open the 24th and 25th): This is another gorgeous Art Nouveau bouillon. Its holiday menu is pretty reasonable or you can order individual dishes from the menu.
- La Coupole – €€ (open the 24th and 25th): This large Art Deco brasserie in the Montparnasse area is a great place for a chic Christmas meal that isn’t going to break the bank. Opened in the 1920s, it was a popular hangout of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso and others.
- Le Coq & Fils – €€ (open only the 24th): This high-end specialty chicken restaurant is a fantastic option for Christmas Eve in Montmartre.
- Le Train Bleu – €€€ (open only the 24th): If you’re looking for a glamorous restaurant to celebrate Christmas Eve, then you might like to book at this classy venue inside the Gare de Lyon train station.
- Fouquet’s – €€€ (open only the 24th): The most famous “brasserie” on the Champs-Élysées puts on a gastronomic four-course holiday menu. It’s a good choice if you’re staying in the area, but it’s pretty pricey.
But don’t worry if you haven’t managed to snag a reservation, you won’t go hungry… this is foodie Paris after all. In addition to my recommended restaurants, you’ll find some “brasseries,” which are casual cafes that serve food all day, open on the 24th and 25th. A good number of the restaurants in Montmartre also stay open. The restaurants on the traditional Jewish street in the Marais, rue des Rosiers, will likely also be open, unless it’s a Saturday when some close for the Sabbath.
What’s the Parisian Christmas meal like?
While each restaurant and family will make something a little different for their holiday meal, there are a few items that are pretty typical for Christmas. The starter usually includes some form of oysters, scallops, or foie gras, and the main course, instead of turkey or ham, is often roasted capon (a male chicken known for having great flavor), which is served with side dishes, such as green beans, potatoes, carrots, or pumpkin.
Chestnuts might appear in the savory dishes, like in the stuffing of the capon, or they might be added to the table in a different form, such as roasted or candied, which are both SO tasty. For dessert, it’s almost always a bûche de Noël, a yule log, which is a rolled cake in the form of a log that tends to be chocolate. These are really good and most bakeries sell a mini version over the holidays – if you’d like to try one more than one during your stay.
What other activities happen around Christmas?
As I mentioned above in the shopping section, there will be some great Christmas markets around the city. Even if you don’t want to do any shopping, they sell cozy holiday food and drinks and have a festive vibe.
Many churches put on Christmas concerts before and over the holidays, so this is another great thing to do. It can be a tiny bit tricky to find info on these, but in a Google search you can often come up with some or you can try the websites of these churches, as they tend to put on concerts: The Madeleine, Saint-Germain-des-Près, Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, and the Sainte-Chapelle.
Then there are also other fun seasonal events at different places around the city that are great for young and old alike. You can do outdoor skating at the Christmas market next to the Eiffel Tower (on the Champs du Mars), within the Grand Palais, and at the Christmas market within the Tuileries Gardens (great for kids).
The Musée des Arts Forains, a private museum of vintage funfair rides and games, holds a magical holiday season event. Called Le Festival du Merveilleux, the venue usually has beautiful holiday decorations, special performances, food stands, and you’re also allowed to go on some of the vintage rides.
Lastly, another fun thing to do is a festive-themed cooking class. I’ve taken this chocolate-making workshop and highly recommend it. It was tons of fun, plus I got to go home with a few boxes of chocolates, which could make a nice gift, or simply be a nice treat for you to enjoy on your Christmas in Paris explorations and adventures.
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