The Festival of Lights (, ) in
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, is a popular event that originally aimed at expressing gratitude toward
Mary, mother of Jesus
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
, around December 8 of each year.
This unique Lyonnaise tradition dictates that every house place candles along the outsides of all the windows to produce a spectacular effect throughout the streets. The festival includes other activities based on light and usually lasts four days, with the peak of activity occurring on the 8th. The two main focal points of activity are typically the
Basilica of Fourvière which is lit up in different colours, as well as the
Place des Terreaux
The Place des Terreaux () is a square located in the centre of Lyon, France, on the Presqu'île between the Rhône and the Saône rivers, at the foot of the hill of La Croix-Rousse in the 1st arrondissement of Lyon, 1st arrondissement. It borders ...
, which hosts a different light show each year.
History
Spared from plague
The origins of the festival date to 1643 when Lyon was struck by
plague. On September 8, 1643, the municipal councillors (''échevins'') promised to pay tribute to Mary if the town was spared. Ever since, a solemn procession makes its way to the Basilica of Fourvière on 8 December (the feast of the
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...
) to light candles and give offerings in the name of Mary. In part, the event thus commemorates the day Lyon was consecrated to the Virgin Mary.
Inauguration of a statue
In 1852, it became a popular festival when a statue of the Virgin Mary was erected next to the Basilica, overlooking the city.
Now a focal point of the festival, the statue was created by the renowned sculptor
Joseph-Hugues Fabisch and was sponsored by several notable Lyonnais Catholics. It was then accepted by Maurice Cardinal de Bonald in 1850. The inauguration of the statue was due to take place on September 8, 1852, the day of celebration of the
Nativity of the Virgin. However, the flooding of the
Saône
The Saône ( , ; ; ) is a river in eastern France (modern Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté). It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges (department), Vosges Departments of France, department an ...
prevented the statue from being ready. The archbishop, with the agreement of a committee of lay people, therefore chose to move the date back to the 8 December.
By 1852, in Lyon, December 8 had already been a celebration for the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin.
Leading up to the inauguration, everything was in place for the festivities: The statue was lit up with flares, fireworks were readied for launching from the top of Fourvière Hill and marching bands were set to play in the streets. The prominent Catholics of the time suggested lighting up the façades of their homes as was traditionally done for major events such as royal processions and military victories.
However, on the morning of the big day, a storm struck Lyon.
The master of ceremonies hastily decided to cancel everything and to push back the celebrations once more to the following Sunday. In the end, the skies cleared and the people of Lyon, who had been eagerly anticipating the event, spontaneously lit up their windows, descended into the streets
and lit flares to illuminate the new statue and the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière, later superseded by the Basilica. The people sang songs and cried "''Vive Marie!''" until late in the night. This celebration was then repeated from year to year.
Custom

Tradition now mandates that many families in Lyon keep, often along with their Christmas decorations, a collection of stained or clear glass in which candles are burnt on windowsills on 8 December. These stout, fluted candles can be found in shops towards the end of November.
During the nights of Festival of Lights, multiple areas of the city are reserved for pedestrians only. The festival typically features light shows, performances and food vendors.
Historians note the rather misinformed notions that the people of Lyon have concerning the celebration's origins: confusion over the thanks given to Mary, as well as the dates involved, leads people to think the celebration commemorates the establishment of the Basilica of
Notre-Dame de Fourvière or a wish granted after a plague supposedly struck in the 19th century.
The festival draws 3 to 4 million people each year.
Security measures after 13 November 2015
On 19 November 2015, six days after the attack on the
Bataclan in Paris,
Gérard Collomb announced the cancelation of the festival because a national state of emergency had been declared. The festival was limited to the traditional ''lumignon'' candles and an installation which paid tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks, whose first names were displayed over the buildings of the quays.
Because of the continuing risk of attacks, the 2016 edition of the festival took place in a smaller area than usual and lasted for three days instead of four.
Security inspections were conducted at entrances to the event and additional security forces were provided by the
Minister of the Interior
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
.
See also
*
Lumiere (festival), UK's largest light festival
References
External links
Official Festival WebsiteHet zestiende Lichtfestival van Lyon ''(The sixteenth Light Festival at Lyon)'' - NRC.nlWhere, when, how much and more full guide t
Lyon Festival Of Lights
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fete des lumieres
Entertainment in Lyon
Christianity in Lyon
Festivals in France
December
Culture in Lyon
Winter in France
Light festivals