Paris Christmas Windows (with Video!)

Another weekend approaches, and many of us will soon be braving the busy streets again in search of gifts, bargains, and the perfect pair of socks for that distant cousin you haven't seen since 1992...

A couple of weeks ago we were in the centre of Paris for the opening of a friend's art display at a Parisian gallery.  As the opening wasn't until the evening, we decided to set off early and spend some time wandering around, and if time allowed, visit the "grands magasins", those large Parisian department stores such as Galeries Lafayette, BHV and Printemps.

At this time of year it's practically impossible to walk on the pavement in front of these stores because of the bustling crowds of people staring at the windows.  The reason?  The Christmas window displays!

All along the Boulevard Haussmann, people jostling to get the best view of the windows collide with people trying to get to wherever, the result is often carnage!

So we were amazed to find that on this particular evening, the street was relatively calm, which meant that we could get close up to those windows!

Below is a selection of photos that you can enjoy from the safety of your computer!  And because many of the windows are animated, at the end of this post, you'll find a video of some of the cute animated teddy bear windows...

This pretty shop window was in the Passage Jouffroy...

And here's the video!  You can watch it here but we recommend that you go to the YouTube page to enjoy it in full HD!