Festival of Lights is a special holiday that takes place in Lyon at the beginning of December every year. The celebration continues for several days, with the peak falling on December 8th.
What is the meaning of this antique holiday? As the name might suggest, the holiday is related o fire and light. It is believed that the tradition to organize processions with candles appeared in the XVII Century, when Lyon was suffering from a plague. Scared citizens called to Virgin Mary for help, asking her to save them from the misfortune. And luckily enough they were herd and Virgin Mary cleansed the city from the plague, and protected the lives of the citizens.
Two centuries later it was decided to erect a statue of Virgin Mary on the chapel near the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. The founding of the statue was scheduled for December 8th, 1852. Actually the initial official opening was planned for September 8th, on the birth date of Saint Virgin Mary, but the event was cancelled due to the flood on the Saone river. Therefore the next important religious holiday was chosen instead, making the opening date fall on the catholic Feast of Immaculate Conception, which is on December 8th.
The people of Lyon, following the occasion, decided to organize a large scale fest with fireworks and live music bands and orchestras. Some say that they almost had to cancel the opening for the second time due to unfavorable weather conditions, and if it weren't for divine intervention the clouds would have never parted, the wind wouldn't have stopped, and the rain would have kept pouring. The happy citizens lit up an ocean of lights to illuminate the new statue. They sang and screamed out "Praise Virgin Mary!" until very late at night. Ever since then the Festival of Lights in Lyon was repeating every year.
The light shows that the people of Lyon organize have little in common with the regular candle lights or torch lights of the past centuries. Of course, some families still place multicolored lights on their porches and in their windows on December 8th Eve. But the lighting of bigger buildings is handled by professionals. Thanks to their efforts old buildings, squares, churches, fountains, boardwalks, and bridges start to resemble a fairy tale setting. The imagination of the masters of illumination is incredible! However, it is better to see the Festival of Lights with your own eyes.
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