Sparkle Season: The Best Paris Holiday Decorations
Wandering the streets of Paris at this time of year can bring a festive warmth to the cold, gray days of early winter.

Full moon over Avenue Montaigne. © Meredith Mullins.
You’ll be swept into the holiday spirit as thousands of new sparkles appear in the streets and windows. And you’ll meet the seasonal cast of creative characters that each store presents… animations and stories that promise to capture the imaginations of the young and young-at-heart.

Holiday spirit for the young and young-at-heart. © Meredith Mullins.
Marveling at the artistry of the displays seems to evoke the same words every year. “How could these stylish productions outdo themselves every year.” It’s true. They do. And, this year, the bar is set extraordinarily high.

The luminous light sculptures at La Samaritaine. © Meredith Mullins.
From dancing sea creatures of Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche to mischievous elves at the Bazar de Hôtel de Ville (BHV Marais) to beaded birds and yeti-like Santas and interstellar queens in upcycled silver garb at Galeries Lafayette to a train station full of characters at Printemps Haussmann that perhaps remind you too much of some of the real characters in your own life… Each of the major department stores shares its own story to entertain the hundreds of passersby each day of the season (and, of course, to inspire shopping).

If the shoe fits… (Printemps Haussmann). © Meredith Mullins.
We take you on a visual journey…

The sparkles of Boulevard Haussmann. © Meredith Mullins.
Galeries Lafayette
Galeries Lafayette is celebrating its 130th Christmas, as its iconic chandelier-like tree proclaims, with 20,000 twinkling LED lights and ornaments from recycled materials such as mirror fragments, shimmering reused fabric, and recycled metallic thread. The tree erupts in color and light in a special show every 30 minutes.

A testimony to upcycle with 20,000 twinkling lights. © Meredith Mullins.
Swiss designer Kevin Germanier was the fashion director this year, in collaboration with creative director Benoît Laumaillé. Germanier brings his focus on upcycled materials to all the costumes and decorations along with Laumaillé’s wish to connect past, present, and future. Germanier’s recent claim to fame was as the designer of the Golden Voyager costume for the 2024 Olympics closing ceremony.

Germanier’s characters are original and full of kitschy charm. © Meredith Mullins.
The paper birds from last year’s Printemps windows perhaps inspired this year’s ornithological theme at Galeries Lafayette, although the Lafayette birds are transformed into colorful beaded sculptures (unsurprisingly similar to Germanier’s stylish evening purses) but with lethal beaks.

Is it a bird or a coveted Germanier evening bag? © Meredith Mullins
The Santas and silver icicle queens (the Germanier women are a combination of Lady Gaga and his granny, he says) shine in the light with their cascading beards, upcycled glamour, and exploding headdresses.

You can see Germanier’s style shining through in his silver characters with exploding headdresses. © Meredith Mullins.
Many of the windows will make you hungry, as the characters seem to often be cooking or eating or looking like some kind of food itself. Miam. Miam.

Miam Miam. © Meredith Mullins.
Le Printemps Haussmann
Next door to Galeries Lafayette, Printemps presents the Printemps Express, a fun and humorously animated journey via a Christmas Train as it travels from window to window.

Get your ticket for the Printemps Express, the train that takes you through a series of impressively animated Christmas windows. © Meredith Mullins.
The characters were created (and dressed by) Valérie Cuter, the store’s dressmaker, using recycled material. They are all in motion, from folks walking their tail-wagging dogs, to well-to-do women trying on dresses and shoes, to station agents selling tickets, bellmen loading luggage, and waiters serving food.

You might recognize yourself (or people you know) as these animated scenes reflect snippets of real life. © Meredith Mullins.
There are characters wrapping packages, trimming trees, opening and closing drawers, and generally moving nonstop. And, if you’re a dog lover, you’re in luck. Frisky dogs are everywhere.
The animation is incredibly intricate and lifelike. Bravo to scenographer Julie Ducat and puppeteer Sylvain Ducloux who spent nearly a year preparing these action-packed windows. There is much to digest.

Everything is moving in this scene, from the duck wings to the bellman lift. © Meredith Mullins.
Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche
Le Bon Marché introduced its first Christmas windows in 1909. This year, the theme “Noêl à Paris” is highlighted by organic, undulating white and gold Tour Eiffels looking down at the inhabitants (and shoppers) in the City of Light.

A world in view of the Eiffel Tower. © Meredith Mullins.
The hand-drawn city sets are interestingly angled to enhance the fantastical and slightly distorted cityscape that is revealed through tiny windows and open doors.

A magical concert of fantastical characters. © Meredith Mullins.
Lobsters and octopuses dance. A chorus of blue characters sing as tiny rabbits pop out of magician hats. And fuzzy green rabbits are hidden throughout the cardboard city to be discovered by vigilant visitors.

Can you find all the hidden rabbits in Le Bon Marché’s hand-drawn white world? © Meredith Mullins.
Inside the store, the free-flowing Eiffel Towers float through a sea of clouds, and Christmas sapins abound.

Christmas decor at Le Bon Marché. © Meredith Mullins

Le Bon Marché. © Meredith Mullins
Bazar de Hôtel de Ville (BHV Marais)
With a theme of “The Allure of Christmas,” the windows integrate BHV products with a bit of mischief delivered by a band of colorful elves.

Who wouldn’t want to dive into a plate of chocolate bars? © Meredith Mullins.
They cook, peek behind doors, pull back curtains, and generally take over the house.

Is this elf about to perform the tablecloth trick? © Meredith Mullins.
But, whatever their mischief, they end with a heartfelt note to Père Noël. Better to be nice than naughty.

A nice (not naughty) letter to Père Noël. © Meredith Mullins.
La Samaritaine

An Art Nouveau treasure. © Meredith Mullins.
Now that La Samaritaine has reopened, the artistry continues for the fourth year with an enchanted winter garden of light-filled plant and animal sculptures in brilliant colors.

La Samaritaine. © Meredith Mullins

La Samaritaine. © Meredith Mullins
Several contemporary artists worked in partnership with Thoiry Lumières Sauvages to create luminous flora and fauna characters throughout the windows and store, in keeping with the Art Nouveau character of the original La Samaritaine.

An overview of holiday artistry. © Meredith Mullins.
Other Notables
There are many festive neighborhoods in addition to the major department stores. Place Vendôme, Bercy Village, Avenue Montaigne, the Champs Elysées, ice skating at the Grand Palais, the fair in the Jardin de Tuileries, Christmas markets throughout the city, and a new forest of trees at Concorde (since the usual parvis of the Hôtel de Ville holiday village is under construction to become yet another Paris greenspace).

The Hermès Christmas penguins. © Meredith Mullins.
Most impressive was the Dior corner on Avenue Montaigne: a brilliant moment of light and Paris traditional icons on the majestic facade, complete with windows so rich in detail that the miniatures seem more real than fantasy. “The goal is to make everyone dream” was the message from Dior. And dream we did.

The Dior Corner on Avenue Montaigne. © Meredith Mullins.

One of the beautifully detailed Dior windows. ©Meredith Mullins.

A miniature masterpiece at Dior. © Meredith Mullins
And the Awards go to (in just one person’s opinion):
Best animation: Printemps Haussmann
Most creative characters: Printemps Haussmann and Galeries Lafayette
Most stunning moment on one corner: Dior on Avenue Montaigne
Most environmentally friendly: Galeries Lafayette
Most creative sculptural artistry: La Samaritaine
Best perspective distortion: Le Bon Marché (see the film The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari for reference)
The Please Try Harder Next Year Award: Bazar de Hôtel de Ville

And a special award for the reddest window on Boulevard Haussmann. © Meredith Mullins.
Happy Holidays from Bonjour Paris. May your days be filled with sparkles of all kinds and your heart be filled with childlike wonder. Here’s to a healthy and happy 2025.
Lead photo credit : Galeries Lafayette celebrates 130 Noëls. © Meredith Mullins.
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