The world-famous Oxford Street Christmas lights bring the spirit of the Christmas season to central London with a stunning array of outdoor Christmas lights to illuminate the popular Oxford Street shopping district. Every year, the lights attract thousands of London tourists and residents to admire the display and do their annual Christmas shopping.
The turning on of the Christmas lights is probably one of the most exciting things to happen in the Christmas calendar; it’s the event which really kicks off the festive period, making it all seem that bit closer. December is definitely the month to go, with most displays usually coming down in early January - so get in there quick!
Seeing the blackened winter sky lit up by intricate arrangements is a great way to beat those blues and can lift even the dampest of spirits.
Each year, popular celebrities are on hand to turn on the lights and famous names present in the past have included Leona Lewis, Enrique Inglesias, Charlotte Church and the Spice Girls. This year kooky comedy guy Jim Carrey will be turning on the street's Christmas lights to celebrate the Disney adaptation of Charles Dicken's classic, A Christmas Carol. This year they'll be lit between 5pm - 6:30pm. They will stay lit until 5th of November 2010.
While the presence of the lights is anything but altruistic - shops on Oxford Street benefit from the light's visitors who proceed to spend their hard-earned money on Christmas gifts - the free display is a treat to behold and if you can resist the siren call of Christmas sales and indoor heating, a stroll past the Christmas lights is just the thing to put you in the holiday spirit.
Though probably the most well-known, Oxford Street finds some strong contenders when it comes to putting on the 'best display' and your opinion on the matter will probably alter depending on whether you want subtle, magnificent or just plain quirky. This year the lights will also be lit in conjunction with the switching of the lights at Regent Street.
Covent Garden is home to some gorgeous, if unusual lights, with the main Apple Market Hall adopting a blue hue and adorned with strange, drooping lights. Regent Street, meanwhile, has a number of webbed blue lights which sit above the heads of shoppers and Carnaby Street enlists blow-up snowmen to do the job, sitting, as they do, alongside white orb-like bulbs and 'snowflakes'.
In addition to the street displays, it is also worth checking out indoor displays such as that at the newly-opened Westfield centre. There's something incredibly extravagant about elaborate indoor displays at the best of times, but floor-to-ceiling makeshift light 'chandeliers' and white webbed pillars are certainly worth a look.
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