This tradition dates back to 1852, when Lyon was preparing to unveil a new statue of the Virgin Mary on the Basilica of Fourvière. The city had chosen Mary as its protector centuries earlier, especially during outbreaks of plague. For the Lyonnais, Mary protected the city and its population from the plague, so yes this inauguration was meant to be a huge symbolic moment.
On the very day of the celebration — 8 December 1852 — Lyon was hit with a storm. Rain, lightning, rising waters, flooding were going to make celebration a disaster so the official festivities were cancelled.
And then came the magic moment 💫
When the sky suddenly cleared in the evening, the people of Lyon spontaneously lit candles and lumignons in their windows and filled the streets to celebrate anyway. The whole city glowed. It was completely unplanned, totally heartfelt, and it made such an impression that the tradition stuck.
From that spontaneous gesture grew what later became the Fête des Lumières, with the modern large-scale light installations added only in the late 20th century.
Just a note on the The spiritual roots:
Lyon’s connection to the Virgin Mary goes all the way back to the Middle Ages. The city repeatedly prayed to her during moments of danger — especially during the plague outbreaks of the 17th century — and the people believed she protected Lyon. Because of this, Mary became seen as a kind of spiritual guardian of the city.
✨ The 1852 vow
When the plague subsided in 1643, Lyon’s aldermen made a solemn vow: every year they would climb Fourvière to honor Mary and thank her for her protection. This ritual became part of the city’s religious identity and eventually inspired the construction of the statue that was meant to be inaugurated on 8 December 1852.
✨ Why the date matters
December 8 marks the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in the Catholic calendar — a celebration of Mary being conceived without original sin. That’s why the inauguration of the statue was scheduled for that day in 1852. So when the people lit candles after the storm passed, it wasn’t just a nice gesture — it was a spontaneous devotional act, a way of saying:
“We honor you anyway, no matter the weather, no matter the circumstance.”
✨ What the candles symbolize
- The little candles in the windows — the lumignons — have a beautiful meaning:
- a sign of unity among the people of the city
- light as a symbol of faith
- gratitude toward Mary
- a gesture of hope and spiritual protection.
Today
Even though the modern Fête des Lumières is full of artistic installations and international events, the heart of the tradition — families placing candles in their windows on the night of December 8 — is still a religious gesture of devotion and remembrance for many Lyonnais.
🌟From candles on window panes …
For generations, the core practice stayed the same: families placing lumignons in their windows on the evening of December 8. This intimate gesture is still alive — many Lyonnais insist it’s the true Fête des Lumières.
🌟 …to a citywide artistic festival
Starting in the 1980s and especially the 1990s, Lyon leaned into its identity as a city of light (it was also the birthplace of the Lumière brothers!). The municipality began inviting artists, lighting designers, architects, and filmmakers to illuminate monuments and public spaces.
This transformed the celebration into:
- a multi-day festival
- with huge installations all across the city
- attracting millions of visitors
- turning Lyon into an open-air light museum
Cathedrals, bridges, theatres, parks — everything becomes a canvas!
In our home ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡♡˚🏠︎ we keep it simple …. (#nespresso)
Now you know !
https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/edition/edition-2025
Book for next year’s fête des lumières @Lyon ! insolitetours@hotmail.com
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