Between sobriety and “wonder”, the dilemma of Christmas lights

• The energy crisis has changed the situation for Christmas lights.

• Mayors have chosen to put them on hold or shorten their flickering period.

• By ecological conviction or financial concern,

  20 Minutes

  Internet users are delighted with this sobriety or understand it.

• But others fear for their morale.

  Parents in particular would like to preserve the magic of the illuminations.

“Do without heating but light up the streets.

I don't agree!

".

"Bebelle", a user of

, which tells itself that in countries at war the question is not asked, is resolutely ready to sacrifice the magic of Christmas on the altar of energy sobriety.

She could, without flinching, spend the holidays in Pont-l'Abbé in Brittany where the mayor, Stéphane Le Doaré, took "the heavy but necessary decision not to make Christmas lights" after seeing the energy bill explode "by more than 223%" and taken into account the risks of winter cuts for individuals.

Lydia, 57, is just as determined and also pleads for the blackout "I am for a minimum of decoration or even no decoration, they pollute and are useless except to annoy the birds", she decrees.

Pascale, 52, also has "no doubt" about "the need to remove all these useless things".

For her, Christmas has anyway become "a huge trade fair".

She much prefers "saving the magic of our planet".

The other magic, that of reunion

Jean-Luc does not procrastinate any more.

“If it can lower local taxes, you don't have to think long!

says the one who concedes however that illuminations would not be superfluous for the nights of Christmas and New Year's Eve.

The rest of the time, he relies on reunions with family and friends to spark the magic.

Hélène is also a supporter of sobriety, of a Christmas without lighting, but imaginative, with "natural decorations, made with what we have on site, like fir branches" rather than sending "products made thousands of miles away."

“Nature and simplicity, the Christmas spirit might finally be back,” she recommends.

As for Nathalie, she has already abandoned her "heap of multicolored and flashing garlands" in favor of "a few real candles in her real tree".

She finds it "nice to walk around and see the Christmas lights", but won't be sick of it if they are at half mast.

The shining eyes of children

Other Internet users would still prefer to cut the log in two, by shortening the period, or the time slots, of the illuminations.

Like in Toulouse, for example, where Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc decided to switch on a week later and switch off a week earlier than usual.

Parents in particular do not want to see their children deprived of the magic of the holidays.

"It helps preserve them from this complicated period that has lasted since March 2020," said Alison, 35.

Covid-19, war in Ukraine… she admits that a sober Christmas would affect her morale “in these difficult, even very difficult times” and would take a few magic bulbs back.

Aurélie, 39, whose two children still believe in Santa Claus, absolutely does not want to give up "seeing their eyes shine with wonder".

Sobriety very little for her.

“We had to think about it before”.

Arnaud is on the same wavelength, he thinks that “life must follow its course”.

She will do so in Eze, a small town on the Côte d'Azur.

After calculating that putting the Christmas lights on hold would only generate savings of 900 euros, the city council chose "to renew what is usually done".

Paris

Champs-Elysées: The Christmas lights are reduced to save energy

Company

Energy crisis: Should we be afraid of seeing cities plunged into darkness?

• Christmas

• your life your opinion

• Energy sobriety

• Energy

• Company