Christmas & New Year 2019 in Les Deux Alpes - What weather to expect & what to do

The snow-clad Alpine landscape and forests of Christmas trees give a wonderful backdrop to all the fun snowy activities on offer. These include ice skating, sledging, horse-drawn sleigh rides, snowshoeing, and, of course, skiing, and snowboarding to name just a few. Even without the special festive programme there would be plenty to do to make a very special family Christmas. On top of this, the town tries to out-do itself each year with an ever more creative programme of Christmas events and decorations.

December usually brings low temperatures and fresh snow. We can also see crisp sunny days but the air tends to stay cold. The forecast is currently for a mix of snow and sun over Christmas week, with strong winds dropping as the week goes on. This winter began with big snowfalls and, despite some more mixed weather afterwards, there is still good coverage on all the pistes. We should have some great skiing conditions on marked runs but off-piste there will be difficult snow and high avalanche risk. Be sure to bring extra warm clothes and be prepared for some windy days.

This year, the main street – Avenue de la Muzelle – will be transformed into a “Magic Avenue” by the Afozic events team. From December 23rd until January 3rd, the street will be closed to vehicles between 18:00 and 19:30. We will see a series of illuminated parades taking place each evening, featuring over 60 actors, dancers and musicians.

On December 23rd, Magic Avenue will feature percussion and dance from Les Crinolines, a glowing giant called Céleste and two parades on stilts with fairies and vermillion as the themes. The roundabout on the main street will host a fire, light and pyrotechnic show from Braze at 18:15 and 19:15. Then, on December 26th, Magic Avenue will see more stilts with La Parade Enchantée, a high-tech juggling show from Astro Diva and Christmas Songs and Retro Jazz from Satin Doll Sisters. There will be more pyrotechnics from Blaze, this time at the Information Point near the resort entrance.

The shows are back on December 30th, with dance troupe Les Élégants, juggling and fiber-optics from Tornade, Les Ombres Blanches on the stilts and a luminous street concert from Les Pix. Le Petit Bal Pour Tous – a ball for kids, parents and grandparents alike – will take over the Place de Venosc from 18:15 to 19:15. On New Year's Day there will be comedy from Baby Charlie in his 4x4 pram, a music and light show by Umbrella, Madame Ballon’s magical parade with her 100 balloons and Mozdrums the lightning drummer. Le Petit Bal Pour Tous will be back in the Place de Venosc. Finally, on January 2nd the Magic Avenue hosts a full six acts for its finale. There will be return appearances from Baby Charlie and Mozdrums, plus gold themed stilts with Les Crazy Or, ‘dreamlike flight’ from La Lumiéole, a lights and bubbles show in pink from Bulles de Bonheur and street cabaret from Cabaret Urbain.

At the same time, the shops and businesses along the street are taking part in a shop window competition. The theme is blue and white, so expect to see some sparkly displays in those colours as you walk around the resort.

Of course, Christmas in a ski resort wouldn’t be complete without certain staples. We are talking about Santa arriving on the snow, the ski instructors’ torchlit descent, fireworks displays and mulled wine. These traditional events will form part of the Christmas Ski Show on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve on the Lutins piste facing the main square. From 17:40, there will be a skiing display by the ESF, a piste basher display, a torchlit descent and a fireworks show. All this will be followed by Santa’s arrival at the foot of the slopes, accompanied by hot chocolate and mulled wine.

In France, the biggest celebration takes place on Christmas Eve, with families getting together for a traditional meal. If you are staying in a French-run hotel, you are likely to get a special meal on the 24th. If you are in a British-run hotel, however, Christmas dinner will probably be served on the 25th. Most restaurants in the town will serve a spectacular multi-course menu of seasonal dishes for both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. There will normally be champagne and seafood dishes, followed by a main course and a traditional dessert such as a Yule Log. This will be very popular so make sure you book well in advance and expect to pay a little more for what should be a very special night.

On Christmas Day, the Santa Claus’ parade will make its way around the resort from 18:00. This will feature Christmas music, gospel and Disney songs from Fanfare de Noel, poetry and light on stilts from Les Allumeurs d’Étoiles and giant illuminated puppets from Homo Simplis. Santa himself will tour the resort in a horse-drawn carriage.

For New Year, the courses will keep on coming, often until after midnight. Most people dining out will see in the New Year in the restaurant, rather than go anywhere else to celebrate. Because New Year’s Eve is generally very busy, most of the bars operate a paid entry policy for one night a year. This means it is a good idea to plan ahead if you want to hit the bars and decide in advance where you want to be at midnight. Many venues will stay open all night, some until 08:00 or 09:00 when more sensible folk are already heading out skiing. The majority will put on some extra entertainment to justify their entry fee, so it should be a great night out if you want to party till dawn and beyond.