The Lyon Light Festival is a popular event that takes place throughout the city in the evening of 8 December. On this occasion, the city of Lyon glows for several days while the festivities are organized in the different neighbourhoods.
The origins of the festival
Since the Middle Ages, the city of Lyon venerate the Virgin Mary, but it is more precisely in 1643, during a plague epidemic, the Lyon city was placed under the protection of the Virgin.
In 1852, a statue of the Virgin Mary erected at the Chapel of the Fourvière hill was to be inaugurated on September 8, but a flood of the Saône prevented the ceremony takes place.
The inauguration was postponed to December 8. It is on this occasion that the Lyon population illuminated for the first time its windows the evening of 8 December: Festival of Lights was born!
A perpetuated tradition
Since 1852 the festival has been renewed every year.
Tradition dictates that each family maintains with its Christmas decorations, glass candles assortment.
Since 1989, the city organizes events over several days during the Festival of Lights.
A long-awaited event
The activities organized in the city have made the Festival of Lights in Lyon a tourist event which attracts several million visitors each year.
This popular festival is now accompanied by a demonstration with a growing international influence.
It offers to the visitors scenography and light shows born from the imagination of renowned national and international designers.
The Festival of Lights was awarded by the trophy for Best General Public event in 2006.
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