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Christmas is upon us, and Paris boasts of some of the most wonderful Christmas decorations. The combination of tradition with contemporary manifestations has made Christmas the most important holiday of Paris. Since Paris is a city filled with people from provinces such as Provence and Alsace, ancient customs from these areas have become an integral part of Christmas celebrations here.
The quiet, introverted atmosphere that Paris streets had for Christmases of years past has given way to more festive displays of holiday cheer. There is no shortage of bright and gay yet elegant Christmas decorations on the major avenues and shopping thoroughfares around town. The Eiffel Tower will offer an amazing spectacle of Christmas, as it gets bedecked with the sparkling lights that it donned to celebrate the Christmas every year.
Christmas gift shops also hold a spectacular display of its own. Elaborate displays with Christmas decorations can be seen all over Paris. Christmas in Paris gives you a more intimate feel as simple strings of light twinkle over the narrow lanes.
While selecting Christmas gifts in Paris, make sure to visit the gift shop named 'Les Grands Magasins'. Here you'll find delightful Christmas gifts like cuddly tigers and purple bears, to glamour in a bottle i.e. perfumes. And if you are looking for an unexpected treasure trove of unusual gifts, like hairclips with blinking eyes, feather duster pens, silver cocktail sticks visit the Christmas gift shop named 'Printemps'.
If you are a lover of coffee and herbal products then 'Fauchon' Christmas gift shop is an excellent choice. The shop sells little jars of coffee, bags of fragrant herbs and tiny tins of bonbons.
Christmas gift baskets are also very famous in Paris. Here you can observe people toting not only brightly wrapped Christmas packages but also Christmas gift baskets containing protruding baguettes, tins of foie gras, aged cheeses and containers of oysters from their favorite neighborhood purveyors.
For those who will spend Christmas in Paris for the first time, you will notice that from roughly December 23-January 2, a blissful calm reigns everywhere. This is because Parisians leave town en masse to visit their family homes in the provinces. Diminished pedestrian and automobile traffic and early nightfall combine to allow for wonderful walks where one can enjoy all the Christmas decorations and markets and the echo of church bells throughout the city without the hustle and bustle of crowds. Major avenues and tiny village-like quarters await you. Huddled against the cold with a loved one on your arm, this is one of the most romantic experiences that the city can offer.
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