CHRISTMAS IN PARIS

Christmas time in Paris popularly known as the fête de noël is a very busy period. It is a time when people come together to spend time and have fun with their friends and family members. It is a season to be merry and rejoice with one another and the festivity of the Yuletide is felt around the atmosphere because of the preparations going on everywhere.

The malls are always crowded with people buying different gifts item for their children, family members and people they love. Christmas is indeed a grand occasion in Paris.

Christmas time here is always interesting and wonderful. The lighting decoration on the streets every year has become a tradition. Places like Champs-Élysées, Eiffel Tower and La Défense are some of the places where people will like to visit during the Christmas period. The large lighting decorations make these places very attractive to visit.

Another very interesting fact about Paris is that there are so many tourist centers like the Eiffel tower, Disneyland Paris, the Champs-Élysées, the Grande arche in La Défense, the Notre Dame Cathédrale and many more. During the Christmas period such places are the prime destination for people from different parts of France and foreigners.

During the Christmas time, shops are decorated in order to attract customer’s attention to buy what they offer. Food stores are usually filled with people buying all sorts of food in preparation for Christmas eve and the Christmas sales going on in different malls attracts more people because of the discounts they offer.

Another tradition common to the French people every Christmas is the erecting of what is known as the Christmas village/ Christmas market. This Christmas villages are built using wooden materials and are only open for a particular period of time after which they are broken down and built again during the next Christmas. These Christmas villages consist of several shops selling different types of food, snacks and Christmas decorations.

Some Christmas markets in Paris are:

· La défense Christmas arche (village de noël)

· Montparnasse Christmas village

· Champs-Élysées Christmas market

· Trocadéro Christmas market

· Saint Germain des près village of Father Christmas

· Fééries d’Auteuil Christmas market

· Haut-Montmartre Christmas market

· Saint Ouen Christmas market (Mairie de Saint-Ouen)

All these interesting things and many more makes one want to spend their Christmas holiday in the city of Paris.

Written by: EGBUKICHI CHIBUIKEM