For the festive season, Paris shines with a thousand lights, with its decorations, its big Christmas trees, its markets and its Christmas windows, in a magical atmosphere. Speaking of Christmas windows, do you know their history and how they came to be so indispensable? Nowadays, they're a veritable rendezvous for families, where people marvel at imaginative creations.
Classic, magical or extravagant, Christmas windows display products but above all tell stories, like miniature theaters. The first window displays for the occasion were created by Le Bon Marché in 1909, before becoming a tradition and marketing tool for Parisian department stores. By the 1950s, window displays had become so popular that a veritable rivalry had developed between stores. They had to compete with each other in terms of ingenuity, hiring specialists and creating the universe that would attract the most curious passers-by.
At Galeries Lafayette, window displays are prepared a year in advance and designed to make customers want to enter the store. Each year has a new theme, revolving around fantasy and magic, not forgetting winter. Like works of art themselves, the window displays require the skills of scriptwriters, directors, architects and sculptors to stand out and please, despite the passage of time.
And it's a tradition that's not likely to fade any time soon, sincenearly ten million visitors come to admire them every Christmas! Discover this year's in Paris:
Les Vitrines de Noël à Paris 2023, the magical program for department stores
The 2023 Christmas window displays in Parisian department stores are unveiled in the run-up to the festive season, to the delight of young and old alike! Whether at Bon Marché, BHV, Samaritaine or Galeries Lafayette, every year we're treated to beautiful window displays that come alive to our delight. Whether you're with the family, the kids, your loved ones or simply your loved ones, this is a must-see Parisian Christmas stroll. [Read more]
Les Vitrines de Noël à Paris 2023, the magical program for department stores
