Do They Know it's Christmas?

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go.

From twinkling lights on humongous trees, to the fast approaching school holidays, there is little doubt that everyone’s mind is turning towards the festive season around the world. With images of Christmas markets in London and Munich, vin chaud in Paris, and many Christmas songs blaring from radios and iTunes, the spirit of the season is here.

However, as “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (Band Aid 30) plays away, I have to ask this question of the French.

With only a week left to go before the big red man visits, it doesn’t seem like the French are feeling very jolly. At least in Marseille, where I am currently working, the Christmas Markets are rather small and don’t offer much choice. There haven’t been any singing choirs or carols around the town. Most importantly, Christmas lights are lacking.

Without the usual decorations, there is a feeling of “Bah, humbug” here. Lots of decorations were only put up last week, and, with the exception of La Canebiere (the main street through the city centre), these are not very sparkly or Christmassy.

When I tell my children that we are going to talk about Christmas in the lessons this week, I am often greeted with a lot of passivity, no jovial and happy faces.

I have previously spent Christmas in Paris, and found all the festivities to be full of the usual wonderment, so I found myself asking why there was such a huge discrepancy and gap between the two cities, and which was representative of France.

Shockingly, it seems that most of the French are not spreading cheer this holiday season, according to a recent poll by YouGov.

When asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement “I am looking forward to Christmas this year”, over half (57 per cent) of respondents in France said they weren’t getting excited for Santa’s arrival. None of the other countries that participated in the survey were nearly as gloomy.

Whether this is because of the economy, politics, or a more general mood prevailing in France is uncertain, but there seems a “laisse-tomber” approach as if the Grinch truly did steal Christmas here.

In Marseille, the mood is summed up by the canine community using the hastily put up and shockingly small Christmas trees as extra places to relieve themselves on the street.

Punsch and Judy, Salzburg Edition

Hailing from Manchester, where the cult of the German Christmas Market has become all-consuming over the past years, I certainly had to make the most of my connections in Austria this year to visit some of the most famed markets the world over.

Living in Marseille, I found the Christmas spirit in the south of France to be, sadly, lacking. From the absence of Christmas trees in the big squares of the city, to the small markets that offered little in the way of variety, I would be lying if I did not say I was disappointed and longing for the traditional festivities that Manchester offers at this time of year.

Fortunately, having lived and worked in Austria for half of 2014, I was able to arrange a Christmas reunion to visit dear friends and colleagues in Salzburg, just across the German-Austrian border to experience the authentic markets first hand.

When the idea was initially suggested in June, my boss made it clear that Salzburg at Christmas was not at all like Salzburg the rest of the year: “You think there are enough tourists now with The Sound of Music and Mozart, you wait.”

Markets next to the Cathedral

Arriving to a cold but perfectly blue skied Salzburg, the small city, with a population of 150,000 people, had been completely overtaken by Christmas decorations, the smell of Austrian food, and so many tourists that walking down the street took some serious skill in manoeuvring around the crowds.

The three squares that surround the Dom (Cathedral) in the city centre were filled with different stalls that were open throughout the day, from morning until after 9pm depending on the stand and the night.

In addition to the usual Salzburg memorabilia, the markets boasted handmade and locally sourced clothes for all ages, decorations for Christmas, present ideas, ranging from plaques and posters, to pots, vases and items for the garden, and German games.

Gluhwein

Of course, the stands that were the busiest were those that offered food and drink. Punsch and Glühwein were the chief attractions of the season amongst the many German brews on offer, and I was certainly spoilt for choice for dinner, between Bratwurst and Krainer sausages, Käsespätzle, hot baked potatoes, baked apples, Kaiserschmarren and other delectable dishes that have since merged into one in a post punsch haze (especially the Feuerzangenbowle punch, which translated literally means the flaming fire tongue punch!)

In Salzburg, these festivities are enjoyed in the charm of a UNESCO world heritage site under the watchful eye of the Festung (Fortress), in a city that looks like it might have jumped out of a Hans Christen Anderson story or Disney creation. With the extra lights spread through the streets and along the bridges, and religious cribs to be found scattered about the city, it is enough to make even the most cynical Scrooge feel warm affection for this season.

And if these Christmas nay-sayers remain resolute in their anti-festivity sentiment, there is always the Salzburg tradition of the Krampus – a mythical creature that comes to town on the 5^th of December to scare and beat up naughty children before the festival of St Nicholas on 6^th December. Inhabitants take it quite seriously, and dress up in masks and costumes and chase teenagers and children down the street. Scary.

A view of the city from the Salzach River

No wonder the Christkindlmarkt are the most popular and renowned – from the ambience, to the gastronomy, to the quirky local traditions, nothing shouts Christmas like these markets!

Lyon in Lights

Lyon, the little Paris by all accounts, is the third largest city in France, after the capital and Marseille on the south coast.

I recently had the opportunity to visit this wonderful city for the annual Fete des Lumieres, the largest festival held in France and second largest in Europe after Germany’s Oktoberfest.

The long history of the festival is wrapped with the religious tidings at this time of year. Lyon had suffered a devastating plague in 1643, and the people of the town prayed to the Virgin Mary to spare the town. Ever since, Lyonnais people have marked the 8^th December by lighting candles in their windows and celebrating with a candle-lit procession to the Basilica Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière.

A river side show

Recently, however, this has spurred an international exposition, where for four days every year, there are numerous light installations around the city. In 2014, there were over 120 different exhibits.

These lights are fantastic works of art and experimentation that are both unique and often interactive or entertaining. Amongst the hundreds of expositions, created by different artists across Europe, some of the most memorable were a “Test-Your-Strength” style game, where spectators were invited to hit an electronic sensor to try and light up a bridge and the bank on the other side of the river, a “Jackpot” machine, and a light projector which you could text and have your message beamed out in Morse code.

Light show at Place Bellecour

In the large squares, there were shows throughout the night. At Place Bellecour, this was based on the adventures of the fictional character “The Little Prince”, and explorers and adventurers of history; outside the town hall, there was a 15 minute projection showing the development of dance, from ballet, to street dance and everything in between.

Best of all, the festival is free. No tickets are required to admire these fascinating and illuminating pieces, and there is a real affinity between tourists and locals alike who come to celebrate this one of a kind exposition.

The city itself merits a visit at any time of the year. Gastronomy in Lyon is amongst the best in France, and is also surprisingly affordable, with tasty two course meals available for under 15 euros.

The Basilica

Elsewhere, the city has architectural echoes of Paris, and yet the old town has winding streets to explore and hidden passageways with shops that have been open for hundreds of years. At the top of the hill overlooking Lyon you can find the Basilica, which, with its mix of architecture, stain glass windows, and detailed tile artwork on the interior, is a highlight no matter what religion you practise. Nearby, there is also a well preserved Roman amphitheatre, and some Roman ruins, which tell of the history of this sometimes overlooked city.

For those looking for more modern fun, the Parc de la Tete d’Or has beautiful gardens and a large free zoo, open all throughout the year.

Lyon is approximately 2hrs from Paris by TGV train, or has its own airport, with many services operating for the special Fete de Lumieres event.

I would certainly not only recommend both Lyon and the festival, but desperately want to visit again, as the art work and light exhibits change and grow each year, amidst an ever larger number of tourists.

Thank you Lyon!