It's that time of the year when the shops are filling up with gift ideas, the butchers are taking orders, and the weather is turning wintery as Christmas quickly approaches.

Christmas is jam-packed with tradition, from a family scale to a national scale including local towns, villages and city light displays. One of the most iconic Christmas lights displays is London's own 'The Spirit of Christmas' along Regent Street and St James's.

Attracting thousands of tourists a year, the lights have become a staple of Christmas in London and the day they're being turned on has just been announced. This year, Regent Street's and St James's Christmas lights will be turned on November 7 all the way until January 5.

The displays comprise over 30 ‘Spirits’ and are made of over 300,000 LED lights which will illuminate the heart of the West End. However, the Christmas lights will not remain on 24/7 with an operating on a timer to conserve energy.

Across the Regent Street and St James's destinations, those looking to get into the festive spirit will be able to admire installations on Regent Street, Jermyn Street and St James’s Market. Plus, there will be displays on Glasshouse Street, Swallow Street, and the sparkling Quadrant Arcade returning for a second year.

St James's Market will also be home to a beautifully illuminated 'Wishing Tree' where visitors can simply tap to make a donation and watch as the tree comes to life with twinkling lights. All proceeds will go directly to The Felix Project, a remarkable organisation dedicated to distributing food to help feed communities across London.