December Events in Paris

Sources: Paris Convention and Visitors Office, Paris Mayor's Office

The below calendar applies to December 2007.

Festivals and Seasonal Events

• Holiday Lights and Decorations in Paris
  Starting in late November, the city is bathed in sparkling lights displays for the holidays.
  Where:Various locations around the city, including:
  
  
  • Holiday Lights displays at Paris department stores
  • Avenue des Champs-Elysées
  • Rue Montorgueil
  • Place Vendome
  • Notre Dame Cathedral (festive Christmas tree)
  
  
• Ice-skating rinks: Every winter, ice-skating rinks are set up at Hotel de Ville (Paris City Hall), Montparnasse, and at other locations around the city. Check back here soon for exact dates and times. Admission is free.
  
  
• Paris Christmas markets: Bring in the holiday cheer in Paris with special Christmas treats, vin chaud (hot wine), decorations, and gifts. Several locations around Paris:
  
  
  • La Defense: under the Grand Arch
    Parvis de la Defense, RER/Metro La Defense
    From November 28th 2007 to December 29th 2007
    
    
  • Santa's Village, Latin Quarter
    BOULEVARD SAINT-GERMAIN-DES-PRES, 5th/6th arrondissement
    Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Pres or Saint-Michel
    From December 5th 2007 to December 31st 2007
    
    
  • Christmas market at Saint-Sulpice
    Location: PLACE SAINT-SULPICE, 6th arrondissement
    Metro: Saint-Sulpice
    From December 6th 2007 to December 24th 2007
  
  
• Hannukah candle lightings in Paris: Check this website for listings
  
  
• The Autumn Festival: Since 1972, the Paris Autumn Festival or "Festival de l'Automne" has brought in the post-summer season with a bang by highlighting some of the most compelling works in contemporary visual art, music, cinema, theater, and other forms. Through December 22. Consult the official website for program details (in English)

Arts and Exhibits

• Picasso Cubiste:
  From September 19th through January 7th, 2008.
  The "Picasso the Cubist" exhibit at the National Picasso Museum focuses on the period 1906-1925 in Pablo Picasso's work, revealing the diverse artistic and theoretical influences on the development of cubism.
  Location: Musée National Picasso
  Hôtel Salé 5, rue de Thorigny (3rd arrondissement)
  Metro: Saint Paul
  RER: Châtelet Les Halles
  Information: 33(0)142 712 521
  Visit the website
  
  
• Les Années Folles: 1919-1929 (The Crazy Years)
  A unique look at trends in women's fashion between world wars, showing how changes in clothing and the popularity of the "garconne" (boyish) look reflected the increasing physical and mental emancipation of women.
  Through February 29th, 2008.
  Location:Galliera, Paris Fashion Museum
  10, avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, 16th arrondissement
  Metro: Iena, Alma Marceau
  Information: 33(0)156 52 86 00
  
  
• When Versailles Was Furnished in Silver
  From the Paris Tourist Office: "Did you know that the huge, splendid rooms of the Sun King’s palace were once furnished with the most incredible solid silver items of the kind never seen before in any European kingdom? The collection included tables, chairs and chandeliers, each piece more magnificent than the last..." Through March 9, 2008.
  Location:Chateau de Versailles
  RER: Versailles-Rive Gauche (Line C)
  Visit the website
  
  
• Gustave Courbet
  Best-known for his provocative painting "The Origin of the World", Gustave Courbet is one of the 19th century's most important figures in realism. Across over 200 works of art, the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais is offering visitors a chance to explore Courbet's underappreciated talent.
  From October 13th to January 28th, 2008.
  Location: Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais
  3, avenue du Général Eisenhower, 8th arrondissement
  Metro: Champs-Elysées Clémenceau
  Bus:28, 32, 42, 49, 72, 73, 80, 83, 93
  More information on the exhibit
  
  
• Benjamin Franklin - an American in Paris, 1776-1785
  The Musee Carnavelet in Paris is holding a tribute to one of America's great thinkers and former Paris residents, Benjamin Franklin. Through March 9th, 2008.
  Location: Musee Carnavelet/Museum of Paris History
  23, Rue du Sevigné, 3rd arrondissement
  Metro: Saint-Paul or Chemin Vert
  Bus: 29, 69, 76, 96
  
  
• Sots Art – Political Art in Russia from 1972 to the Present Day
  "Sots art" is a term coined in reference to socialism and art, and was the name of a major art movement in Russia from the 1970s through the fall of the Soviet Union. Those interested in political propaganda, communist history, and/or pop art should not be disappointed. Admission is free.
  Location: LA MAISON ROUGE - Fondation Antoine de Galbert
  10, boulevard de la Bastille, 12th arrondissement
  Through January 20th, 2008.
  Metro: Bastille
  Information: 33(0)140 010 881
  
  
• A l'apogée de l'impressionisme (The Height of Impressionism)
  Art collector Georges de Bellio was a friend and sponsor of major impressionist figures like Monet and Sisley. The Musée Marmottan-Monet is hosting an extraordinary exhibit showcasing De Bellio's personal collection, featuring some of the impressionist movement's most stunning works.
  Through February 3rd, 2008.
  Location: Musée Marmottan-Monet
  2, rue Louis-Boilly, 16th arrondissement
  Metro: La Muette
  RER: Boullainvilliers Information: 33(0)144965033
  Visit the website
  
  
• Bêtes et Hommes (Humans and Beasts)
  Through January 20th, 2008.
  This quirky exhibit at the Grande Halle de la Villette in North Paris explores, across a multimedia installation and a selection of live animals, the complex relationship between animals and humans. This event should pique the curiosity of visitors of all ages.
  Location: Grande Halle de la Villette at the Parc de la Villette
  Metro: Porte de Pantin

More on Visiting Paris in December: December Weather and Packing Guide

Celebrating Christmas in Paris

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