Returning from the holiday break, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index won 0.4 percent to 6,712.97 points compared with the close on Monday.

In the eurozone, the Paris CAC 40 surged almost 1.4 percent to 4,689.20 from Monday's close.

But Frankfurt's DAX 30 fell nearly 0.3 percent to 10,607.42 points on the German market's first trading day of the week. That compared with the previous closing level on Friday.

Wall Street stocks meanwhile roared back to life on Wednesday, shaking off four straight routs following strong retail sales data and White House reassurances that Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell won't be fired.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up nearly 1,100 points, or about five percent, at 22,878.45 points.

Asian equities mostly sparkled on Thursday, with Japanese shares surging nearly four percent in value, giving some welcome relief from a lingering global markets downturn.

For the Christmas holiday, Frankfurt was shut for business on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

London and Paris had suffered steep losses in half-day sessions on Monday, before festive shutdowns on Tuesday and Wednesday.