Christmas in London

The Advent and Christmas season in London is probably one of the most beautiful times in the city. The buildings and streets are beautifully decorated, but the city center especially shines in a whole new light. Many streets, even entire passages, are adorned with elaborate light figures and installations.

During a trip to the city center, I was able to visit Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street, Fortnum & Mason, and the Royal Arcade.

The oldest Christmas lights in London (since 1954) are also called 'The spirit of Christmas' and are located in Regent Street. They consist of several large angels hovering over the entire street, made up of a total of 300,000 lights. This year, Regent Street was closed to public traffic every Saturday in December, yet the street was still filled with crowds of people.

The lights on Oxford Street are 27 large LED curtains hanging above the street. Using 222,000 small lights, messages are sent to the visitors. The focus is on thanking the people who are fighting against the pandemic with full dedication. Every Londoner had the opportunity to nominate and vote for their '2020 Hero' on the Oxford Street website. The most successful nominees could have their names displayed on a banner on Oxford Street for a week. The first name was nominated by the Royal Voluntary Service and is a first responder from the NHS. Alongside the nominees, there are slogans and a poem displayed on the banners.

Bond Street is a large luxury shopping district in central London. Here, large feathers that resemble peacock feathers are illuminated. Approximately 250,000 small LEDs were used for these lights. Feathers of peacocks decorate the street because, according to the stories, in the late 18th century, the so-called 'The Bond Street Loungers' walked along the street in striking clothes. These people wore excessively striking clothes that reminded the tailors and designers of peacocks. Therefore, the peacock feathers are a reference to the fashion icons of that time.

Fortnum & Mason is a department store that has existed since 1707. It transforms into a huge advent calendar in December. The year is visible on the corner of the building, and the different doors are displayed on the windows of the front. Large LED numbers hang on the windows and light up when the door opens.

The Royal Arcade dates back to 1879. It is a historic shopping arcade from the Victorian era. I only passed by it momentarily, but I intend to take a closer look in the new year because I find the architecture very interesting.

But it's not just the city center that lights up. The other neighborhoods have also been decorated. In my neighborhood, Dulwich, the Dulwich Village was particularly adorned. A small Christmas tree was placed on every balcony of the houses on the main street. The St. Faith Church, where the kindergarten is located, also decorated the outside and set up a large nativity scene. There were also street lights in Brixton and even a small German Christmas market in Bromley.

Visiting London during Christmas time is a must!

I had planned to see more lights, but unfortunately, I had to cancel due to the pandemic. On that Saturday in the city center, the crowds of people were pushing, and it really made me realize, for the first time, what a metropolis I actually live in. So, I only saw a fraction of the Christmas lights. I was also recommended to visit Covent Garden, Sky Garden, and many more, which I hopefully can see next year.