• In Béthune, Pont-Château or Quimperlé, the Christmas celebrations will take place without illuminations this year.

  • Several mayors took this drastic decision due to the energy crisis and soaring prices.

  • These elected officials promise, however, that the magic of the holidays will be present in their municipalities with a reinforced entertainment program.

One month before the return of the big red man with the white beard, the Christmas lights are preparing to sparkle in the four corners of France.

Paris launched the festivities on Sunday and many municipalities are preparing to do the same this weekend.

But this year, the hour is not the luminous debauchery.

Between soaring energy costs and ecological awareness, the vast majority of mayors have indeed decided to reduce the sails for the holidays.

Some elected officials have even pushed the cursor further by simply doing without Christmas lights.

“A strong and frustrating gesture”, according to Olivier Gacquerre, UDI mayor of Béthune (North), who explained it on his Facebook page.

“Given the risks of shortages and cuts (…), we prioritize the consumption of the inhabitants of the inhabitants rather than lighting the outside, which could be seen as comfort in this period”, he justifies.

“We will have to do things differently and with less in the future”

In Quimperlé in Finistère, the call for energy sobriety was also taken literally.

On the banks of the Laïta, no garlands or fir trees will light up the town for the holidays.

“It would have been incoherent to light up when everyone is asked to make an effort”, underlines Yves Schryve, municipal councilor responsible for real estate and energy transition.

Before drawing a line under the illuminations, the municipal office still thought about a less radical solution.

“We initially wanted to reduce the surface but it is complicated because the merchants of the city are not concentrated in the same sector”, indicates the elected official.

Various left mayor of Pont-Château (Loire-Atlantique), Danielle Cornet has also resolved to do without the Christmas illumination traditions this year.

“It is not a dogmatic vision but rather an awareness that it will be necessary to do differently and with less in the future”, estimates the city councilor.

The magic of the holidays despite everything

As energy prices soar, removing fairy lights is also a way for elected officials to save money.

In Tercé, a small town near Poitiers (Vienne), the bill amounts to 1,500 euros each year between installation and lighting costs.

"It's a budget that may seem anecdotal but it's not for a small town like ours whose total expenses reach 750,000 euros each year," says Christian Richard, mayor of Tercé since 2001. In Pont- Castle, town of 11,000 inhabitants, the total saving amounts to nearly 38,000 euros "part of which will be reinvested in animations", underlines Danielle Cornet.



Because if these municipalities have decided to put the illuminations on standby, there is no question of giving up the magic of the holidays.

"On the contrary, we want to reinforce this magic by offering more entertainment and moments of sharing and by involving traders and residents in the preparations", continues the mayor of Pont-Château.

In Quimperlé, the elected officials are also preparing a more extensive entertainment program during the day with a few surprises.

"And anyway, illuminations or not, that won't prevent us from having a good holiday," concludes Christian Richard, who has not yet received any message of protest from his constituents.

Planet

Nantes: Illuminations redesigned for consumption reduced by at least 45%

Economy

Inflation: "This year, no foie gras or salmon..." Our readers are revising their budget for Christmas downwards

  • Company

  • Christmas

  • Lights

  • Party

  • Energy sobriety

  • Energy