Fairytale Lights of Lyon 2013!

The Fête des Lumières is held every year in Lyon, the town I grew up, on December 8th.

Although originally held for one night only it now lasts three whole nights and has become a spectacular event. Gone the days when people lit up candles in coloured glass 'lumignons' and placed them on their window sills before going for a stroll in the old town and up to Fourvière, the basilica dedicated to the Virgin Marie on top of the hill.



Although there is some confusion regarding the origins of the Fête des Lumières, there is no doubt that it was always dedicated to the Virgin Marie, under whose protection the city was placed in the Middle Ages. Even though some claim that the festival dates back from the Renaissance, when the Virgin Marie answered the prayers of the people of Lyon and saved the city from the plague which affected the rest of the country, the tradition really started on 8th December 1852. when a statue dedicated to the Virgin was inaugurated on top of the Fourvière hill. The celebrations planned for the event had to be cancelled because of a violent storm, so when the storm finally stopped later in the evening, the people lit up candles they placed on their window sills and took to the street to celebrate. The tradition has carried on until this day.

 

Nowadays extravagant light displays are held throughout the town. Just look at these from the 2013 edition of the Festival!

It's just like being in a fairy tale, isn't it?

 

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This one is called 'Le Petit Prince',  no doubt as a reference to the author Saint-Exupéry.

 

 

I would have loved to return to Lyon for the weekend and see all this for myself, but I can't help feeling a little nostalgic for the days when all we needed to be happy were little candles on the window sills. It was such good fun to meet up with friends, have a drink in cafés and stroll through the old town and try to avoid the flour and eggs people used to throw down at passers-by through their windows!

A Little Winter Magic

Fairytale lights in Lyon this 8th December.

Tomorrow 8th December marks the start of the 'Fête des Lumières' in Lyon, the town where I grew up. The festival originally lasted one night only, but in recent years it has become an internationally acclaimed event which lasts three nights and is attended by thousands of visitors.

There is some confusion regarding the origins of the Fête des Lumières but there is no doubt that it was always dedicated to the Virgin Marie, under whose protection the city was placed in the Middle Ages. Even though some claim that the festival dates back from the Renaissance, when the Virgin Marie answered the prayers of the people of Lyon and saved the city from the plague which raged in the rest of France, the tradition really started on 8th December 1852. when a statue dedicated to the Virgin was inaugurated on top of the Fourvière hill. The celebrations planned for the event had to be cancelled because of a violent storm, so when the storm finally stopped later in the evening, the people lit up up candles they placed on their window sills and took to the street to celebrate. The tradition has carried on until this day.


I have lovely memories of the Fête des Lumières...

I used to help my mother light up the candles in the red, green or gold coloured 'lumignons' we kept year after year, and place them on all the window sills of our house. I loved watching the candle lights flicker until late during the night. The whole town looked magical, straight out of fairy tale.

Things have changed a lot since then and the Fête des Lumières has become a lot more spectacular. Colourful videos are projected onto the town's facades and fountains, and into the sky, illuminating monuments and the rivers.

I hope you will enjoy this little bit of winter magic...

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