Parisian Christmas window displays

In France some things never change, like Parisian Christmas window displays.

It’s been over 100 years since Le Bon Marché, the oldest Parisian department store, launched the first animated Christmas window displays the city had ever experienced.

On the Right Bank Les Galeries Lafayette, then le Printemps stores soon followed suit.

They have never looked back: Parisian Christmas window displays have become a tradition many locals never miss.

Let’s give credit where credit is due: It was Macy’s who started it all in the late 1870s, animated displays popping up about a decade later in New York City.

In Paris generations of children and their families visit boulevard Haussmann every year. Eyes sparkle, mouths drop as visitors discover the themed animations of Parisian Christmas window displays launched in November.

Everyone is invited to look but not everyone will shop. Still, the spectacular exhibits have proved a powerful marketing tool for embattled retail businesses, helping draw more customers inside the stores at the most profitable time of the year.

I used to visit when I worked in the neighborhood at the old American Express flagship travel agency behind the Opéra Garnier. Later I took my son there. This week, I returned.

Like always Le Printemps was my favorite.

This year the Christmas window displays’ theme spoke to me even more: It was dedicated to train travel and featured over 100 whimsical characters that often made me smile.

I wish the many trains I ride on throughout the years were this merry and colorful!

As I was about to leave I spotted a young child and his grandma, standing on small bleachers especially built for little ones who couldn’t reach the windows otherwise.

I remembered my son looking at the magical displays so many years ago and had a thought for the generation of children Le Printemps and les Galeries have entertained for so long.

In my homeland, even in the age of globalization and crass commercialization some things never change, including Parisian Christmas window displays.

T’is a good thing.