When I was a kid in France, Christmas cheer spread through outdoor Christmas markets, seasonal decorations and lights throughout the city and department stores’ animated window displays (the most famous one being the Galeries Lafayette display in Paris and other French cities). Strings of holiday lights were typically hung across major pedestrian streets in shopping areas or historical centres, casting a warm glow over the wet pavement.
In Canada, streets are wider and weather conditions aren’t as mild as in Europe. As a result, Christmas lights tend to adorn lampposts and trees and since there is less foot traffic and people strolling outside, stores don’t put up elaborate displays. Most of the Christmas “magic” happens indoors, in malls, or in the many front yards of suburbia, where the same people who go overboard for Halloween go completely crazy for Christmas. For example, people outline their houses with weatherproof Christmas lights and display “light sculptures,” Christmas-themed wireframe metalwork pieces.
On a mild Friday night, after picking Mark up from daycare and promising him that yes, he will get his daily Advent Calendar chocolate later stop-freaking-out-about-it, we drove to downtown to see how the national capital was doing around Christmas.
There were more lights in the trees than I remembered from the previous years, especially around the Parliament, Sparks Street and the Rideau Canal. The Byward Market was quiet and pretty dark, and the Rideau Centre didn’t have any major “oh wow!” display. Santa was gone for the day, and his elves, three twenty-something girls dressed in mini-skirts, were just taking selfies around the display. Château Laurier was a worthwhile stop, though, with the Trees of Hope for CHEO—a tree decoration competition supporting a charity.
Lovely pictures, thank you for sharing! I can’t believe how big Mark is getting, it’s like in a blink of an eye he turned from a little baby to a handsome little boy. Such a sweet smiling face:)
Enjoy this December I wish all the best to you and your family!
Thank you, that is very sweet from you. I’m also surprised how… grown up he looks, sometime. It feels weird to witness the process actually, I mean I expect kids to grow up but still! I feel the same with my friends’ kids.
Love the photos 🙂
Thank you! Any holiday lights at your place?
Nope, just a wreath on the front door. We are too lazy to hang lights outside lol ! We did decorate the tree 🙂
Same here!
Wow, the lit Château Laurier and trees are really nice! And yes, the mall can be a very festive place.
Château Laurier is one of the nicest places in Ottawa IMO, outside and inside.