Creators of dog accessories, illustrators who are fans of “man's best friend”, animal protection associations, then concerts (Museau, Dog Music, Godzi, Dogos) which are nevertheless not recommended for the ears of canines. Saturday December 9 in the afternoon, at Point Ephémère, a concert hall on the banks of the Saint-Martin canal (10th arrondissement of Paris), dog lovers and their faithful companions will be able to stroll among the exhibitors of a dog market. Christmas dedicated. At the initiative of this first dog-friendly Parisian gathering: the review Bastard, quarterly specialized in canines, launched in June.
“We wanted to celebrate the end of the year in a warm way and in the editorial line of the magazineexplains Emma Guerchon, its co-founder. But the other dog Christmas markets are very “mother to her doggie”, which is why we invited artists, associations, and why we had a “talk” with a specialized lawyer. Ultimately, it’s less about selling than about getting together, raising awareness and letting go.” The idea of a niche Christmas market, dedicated to dogs, is in fact nothing new. In Marolles-sur-Seine (Seine-et-Marne) and Kolbsheim (Bas-Rhin), for example, slightly more commercial events invited, on November 26 and December 3, onlookers to stroll among brand stands to canids.
“No longer consume blindly”
A sign that this type of proposal is spreading in France, more or less consciously banking on promising businesses – the dynamic pet market was thus estimated at almost 6 billion euros in 2022. “If there are thematic Christmas markets, it is because these themes are established everywhere in society,” says Julia Pietri, founder of a feminist Christmas market in Paris. Already in its fourth edition, this event, organized on Sunday December 17 at the Parisian third-party venue Ground Control (12th arrondissement), intends to bring together around sixty exhibitors (creators, artists and community activists) affiliated with pop feminism.
“Everyone is obviously welcome but the brands present are only managed by women, specifies the author and feminist activist, who runs the “Gang du clito” account on Instagram. This allows people interested in feminism and equality to make their Christmas gifts in an inclusive event led by women, with “made in France”, to no longer consume blindly or enrich Amazon. While introducing feminism to all those who are not feminists.” A way, too, to pose as an alternative to the juicy traditional markets, considered out of date with their wooden chalets, their not really local crafts and their “made in China” souvenirs?
Eco-responsible and supportive creation
At the Cité fertile, a third place in the heart of a former station in Pantin (Seine-Saint-Denis), a Christmas village is hosting thematic editions this year, which intend to put eco-responsible and supportive creation at the heart of the holidays. It began at the beginning of December with a second-hand “Big Market”, before an edition dedicated to Japan, a subsequent one to Ile-de-France creation, and a last one to ceramic objects.
“We've been organizing these kinds of Christmas markets for years, and now they're popping up (“arises”, editor’s note) everywhereobserves for his part Edouard Rose, of the Sinny & Ooko agency, which manages cultural and engaged places, such as the Fish Market in Le Havre or the Pavillon des canals and the Recyclerie, in Paris. It allows us to raise awareness of creators who have things to say, to question what Christmas is in a time of climate change, especially since we aim to raise awareness of the ecological and social transition.”
“It’s difficult to be 100% flawless”
A great lover of Japanese culture, the creator of Shizen, a Japanese Christmas market with around a hundred stalls, expected on December 9 and 10 in the Fertile City, wants to show that there is always an alternative. “The objective is not to make a Japan expo bis, but to talk about Japan in a more ecological way, to travel there without taking a plane, and to rediscover a matsuri atmosphere (Japanese popular festivals and holidays, editor’s note), with craftsmen, short circuits and local”, continues Edouard Rose.
On the program of festivities (non-exhaustive): furoshiki or kintsugi workshops, performances, screenings or products from the archipelago made in France, such as tofu created in Le Mans or shiitake (mushrooms from Asia) and sake from the Ile-de-France region. And to complete: “It’s difficult to be 100% impeccable, but we try to move towards eco-responsibility as much as possible.” While avoiding falling into greenwashing.
