Page 15 - Social_Sustainability of Culture

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Best Practise n. 2

The Festival of Lights in Lyon In a tradition that dates back to the 17th century, the ‘Lyonnais Fête des
lumières’ is a yearly cultural highlight in Lyon. The festival has its origin in expressing gratitude towards
Mary, as in religious tradition she was believed to have saved Lyon from the plague in 1643. What started
as a local tradition, which encouraged citizens of Lyon to place a candle or light in their window every year
around the 8th of December to commemorate Mary, grew into an event that captured the attention of
people all around the globe. Nowadays the ‘Lyon Light Festival’ attracts 4 million visitors per year. The
festivals’ activities are all based on light and last approximately four days. The festivals’ organisers are
seeking to reduce the impact of the event on the environment as much as possible by various means,
such as by using low consumption lighting systems (LED) on many of its installations. The event is said to
consume as much as a standard household (water, electricity, heating) in a 120 m2 apartment. As soon as
projects are selected, particular attention is given to materials, reusage, and the transport of equipment
and teams.