The FTSE 100 index in London closed on Christmas Eve above 6000 points for the first time since June 2008.
The index broke finished up 12.85 points on Friday, or 0.2%, at 6008.92 after a late rally in retail stocks.
The BBC reports the index has risen 8% so far this December, its strongest for the month since 1987. The FTSE 100 is up 10.8% on the year to date.
Marks & Spencer, Next, Kingfisher and Tesco were all in strong demand.
In Paris, the CAC-40 index slipped 0.3% to 3,900.4, but there was no trading in Frankfurt, where on Thursday the DAX index had slipped 0.2% to 7,057.7.
