Paris Christmas Activities for 2013-2014

Department Store Sunday Openings and Their Windows
Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, Bon Marché and BHV/Marais are open Sundays December 8, 15 and 22.

If you want to give a Lego architecture gift, I found this idea at  Bon Marché  Lego Architecture: Eiffel Tower, Tower of Pisa, United Nations, Tower Bridge, Villa Savoye à Poissy (Le Corbusier) or the Imperial Hotel (Tokyo, Frank Lloyd-Wright).

Léa Seydoux and André Dussollier inaugurated the Galeries Lafayette 2013 Christmas window theme Beauty and the Beast (“La Belle et La Bête”). Gwyneth Paltrow illuminated the Christmas windows at Printemps Haussmann. Each year, Printemps chooses a designer for their decorations. Prada has specially decorated eleven of the windows for Printemps with about 80 bears. Prada joins past Christmas window decorators, Karl Lagerfeld and Dior.

Laëtitia Casta  flips on the lights for the annual illuminations of the Avenue des Champs-Elysées November 21 at 6 pm. The switch is turned off on the evening of January 8, 2014.

The illuminations will be the same as last year. Garlands of lights around the 200 tree. The color of the lights change every thirty minutes. Illuminating the Champs-Elysées costs about one million euros, of which the City of Paris contributes 220,000 euros.

Ice Skating (patinoire): Hôtel de Ville – Friday, December 20 to Sunday, March 2, 2014 – free if you bring your own skates. Five euros entry fee includes skate rental. Plan to leave a piece of ID for the skates as a deposit. For safety reasons, you must wear gloves while skating.

Carrousels (Free) around Paris  for a complete list of locations – Saturday, December 21 to Sunday, January 5, 2014 Free from 10 am to 7 pm

Jours de fêtes at the Grand Palais – Saturday, December 21 to Sunday, January 5, 2014 (Closed December 24 and 31). Otherwise, every day from 11 am to midnight.

Skiing in the middle of Paris – Charléty sur Neige – for kids 3-16 – December 25 to January 4, 2014

Marchés de Noël (Christmas Markets) – Champs-Elysées Village

Open everyday November 15 to January 5, 2014
Sunday to Thursday: 10 am to 11 pm
Friday and Saturday: 10 am to midnight

Between Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées and the Place de la Concorde over 160 Christmas châlets for a festive holiday atmosphere

Buy a Christmas tree beginning at 10 euros and help the association, “Dessine moi un Sourire”. The trees come from the Morvan area of France.
Where: In front of Saint-Eustache church
Place René Cassin 75001 Paris
Tuesday November 26 to Sunday December 22, 2013 (Every day 10 am to 7:30 pm)

A quick glance at the Paris Christmas Markets:
THE CHAMPS-ELYSÉES
From 15 November 2013 to 5 January 2014 – 10h-18h
Avenue des Champs-Elysées – Metro : Champs Elysées – Clemenceau

Father Christmas’ Village in SAINT GERMAIN DES PRES
From 15 November 2013 to 6 January 2014 – 10h-19h
Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés de Paris – Metro : Saint-Germain-des-Prés

ARCH AT LA DÉFENSE IN PARIS
From 27 November to 28 December 2013
11h-20.30. 11h-21h on Friday. 10h-21h on Saturday. 11h-18h on 24 December. 11h-20:30 on 26 December. 11h-21h on 27 December. 10h-21h on 28 December.
Parvis de la Défense – Metro : La Défense
350 stands and a 400 m² tent with Christmas decorations

ABBESSES IN PARIS (Montmartre)
From 29 November 2013 to 1 January 2014 – 10h- 17h
Place des Abbesses – Metro : Abbesses

GARE SAINT-LAZARE
From 29 November 2013 to 2 January 2014
Gare de Haussmann Saint-Lazare – Metro : Saint-Lazare

PLACE DE LA NATION
From 1 to 24 December 2013
Place de la Nation – Metro : Nation

PLACE SAINT-SULPICE
From 1 to 24 Decemberre 2013 – 10h-20h
Place Saint-Sulpice – Metro : Saint-Sulpice

CHRISTMAS VILLAGE IN MONTMARTRE
From 6 December 2013 to 5 January 2014
10h-20h30. 10h-22h on Saturday and Sunday
Parvis de la Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre – Metro : Anvers

PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE
From 7 to 15 December 2013
10h-19h. 10am-midnight on Saturday
Place de la République – Metro : République

FEERIES D’AUTEUIL
From 9 to 15 December 2013 – 11h-19h
Fondation d’Auteuil – Metro : Jasmin

CHRISTMAS VILLAGE IN JARDINS DU TROCADERO
From 12 December 2013 to 5 January 2014
11h-20h30
Jardins du Trocadéro – Metro : Trocadéro
100 chalets and a skating rink

CHRISTMAS MARKET ON QUAI BRANLY- on the esplanade Ben-Gourion along the Seine
From 16/17 december 2013 to ⅖ January 2014 (information differs on different websites)
10h-19h Metro : Trocadéro

GOURMET CHRISTMAS SEASON – First time!
From 20 to 22 December 2013
11h-21h on 20 December. 10h-21h on 21 December. 10h-20h on 22 December
Place de la Bourse (Palais Brongniart) – 2nd arrondissement – Metro : Bourse
10 euros admission includes a beverage (“un verre” usually means a glass of wine)

Nativity scenes
“Nativity scenes are installed in Parisian churches. Figures range from small to life-size and these figurative and poetic scenes may be animated, inspired by local life are even be given a new look by contemporary artists.
Every year, Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, the Madeleine church, and Saint-Sulpice church welcome new Nativity scenes. Whether they be traditional, baroque or modern, these veritable works of art welcome a large number of visitors.
Saint Georges de la Villette church and the Fééries d’Auteuil invite visitors to see not just one but several Nativity scenes, which are all part of original exhibitions.” — ParisInfo (Convention and Visitors Bureau)

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
Parvis Notre-Dame, Paris 4th – Metro Cité / Saint-Michel

Eglise de la Madeleine
14rue de Surène, Paris 8th – Metro Madeleine

Eglise Saint-Sulpice
2 rue Palatine, Paris 6th – Metro Saint-Sulpice

Christmas Nativity Scene and Figurines from Provence
From 15 December 2013 to 8 January 2014
Eglise Saint-Georges de la Villette
12 avenue Simon Bolivar, Paris 19th – Metro Bolivar / Jaurès

Exhibition of Nativity scenes created by members of the Apprentis d’Auteuil foundation
For the Féeries d’Auteuil
From 7 to 15 December 2013
Fondation Apprentis d’Auteuil
40 rue Jean de la Fontaine, Paris 16th- Metro Jasmin / Eglise d’Auteuil

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