If you have ever been to Paris around Christmas, chances are you’ll have seen the Christmas lights on the Champs Élysées.

Electric street lights came into existence in Paris at the end of 19^th century, but only in the most frequented areas. It was only after the World Fair of 1881 that the “electricity fairy” began to be perceived as a universal service. In 1883, the department store Le Printemps is the first to be lighted entirely by electric lights. The other Grands Magasins (department stores) follow, with impressive light displays year after year: the BHV Marais, the Galeries Lafayette, the Samaritaine, and the Bon Marché.

As for the Champs Élysées, the “Illuminations de Noël” or Christmas lights, start at the end of November and last till the beginning of January. Each year, a celebrity is invited to switch on the lights on the first night. In order to save energy, not only are all lights LED, but as of 2022, the duration has been shortened by one week and finishes on January 2^nd, 2023. The lights are switched off two hours earlier than usual, at 23h45.