French Christmas Vocabulary

The most important Christmas vocabulary words are Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas), le père Noël (Santa Claus) and un sapin de Noël (Christmas tree). This page offers a list of 100+ French Christmas terms covering greetings, decorations, foods and much more. Merci et Joyeux Noël!

Holiday Season

In French, Christmas eve is ‘Le réveillon de Noël’. Le ‘réveillon’ is the eve or night before the holiday. New years eve is ‘Le réveillon du Jour de l’An’. The most common word for Santa Claus is ‘Père Noël’, which means to ‘Father Christmas’. Other common names are ‘Papa Noël’ and ‘Saint Nicolas’.

Noël Christmas
le vingt-cinq decembre December 25
la soirée du 24 décembre Christmas Eve – the evening of December 24
les fêtes de fin d’année / la période des fêtes holiday season
le réveillon de Noël, la veille de Noël Christmas Eve
le Jour de Noël Christmas Day
le Père Noël Santa Claus
Saint Nicolas Saint Nicolas
les traditions de Noël Christmas traditions

Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas in French is ‘Joyeux Noël’. Joyeux, pronounced jwah-yuh, means both joyous and happy. Another common greeting for the holiday season is ‘Joyeuses Fêtes’ which translates to joyous holidays. The greeting ‘Meilleurs Voeux’ listed below means best wishes and is commonly used on Christmas cards.

Joyeux Noël! Merry Christmas!
Joyeuses Fêtes / Bonnes Fêtes de Fin d’Année! Happy Holidays!
Meilleurs Voeux! Seasons Greetings!

Christmas Tree

Christmas tree in French is ‘un sapin de Noël’. The word ‘sapin’ translates to pine tree or fir tree. While the word ‘arbre’ means tree, it cannot be applied to Christmas trees. Therefore, ‘un arbre de Noël’ is not the correct term. There are several words for Christmas stockings. The French use the term ‘une chaussette de Noël’ while the French-Canadians use the term ‘un bas de Noël’.

le sapin de Noël Christmas tree
un cadeau de Noël Christmas gift
le papier cadeau wrapping paper
bauble une boule de Noël, un bibelot Christmas tree bulb
un objet décoratif ornament
une étoile star
un ange angel
un santon saint figurine
une chaussette de Noël, bas de Noël (Canada) Christmas stocking
le sommet du sapin the top of the tree
le pied du sapin bottom of the tree
une guirlande de Noël Christmas wreath, tinsel
un sapin artificiel en plastique fake plastic Christmas tree
un sapin naturel a real tree
les cheveux d’anges tinsel strands
le support du sapin Christmas tree support
un cultivateur de sapins Christmas tree grower

Christmas Decorations

A snowman in French is ‘un bonhomme de neige’, which translates literally to a gentleman of snow. The term bonhomme also applies to gingerbread man: ‘un bonhomme de pain d’épice’, or a gentleman of spice bread. In France, a candy cane is ‘un bâton de sucre d’orge’, which translates literally to a stick of barley sugar. In Canada, a candy cane is ‘une canne de bonbon’ or ‘canne de Noël’, which translate to a candy cane or Christmas cane.

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les guirlandes électriques extérieures / interieures Christmas lights (outdoor/indoor)
une carte de vœux greeting card
un bonhomme de neige snowman
un ruban ribbon
un sucre d’orge candy cane
un bonhomme de pain d’épice gingerbread man
un bougie candle
le gui mistletoe
la niege snow
une crèche nativity scene
un berger shepherd
un berceau manger
un traîneau sleigh

Christmas Dinner

Many French families enjoy a sumptuous feast on Christmas eve. This festive meal is called ‘le repas de Noel’, or the Christmas meal. The French enjoy eating luxury foods during this meal. Common foods include le fois gras, ‘le saumon fumé’ (smoked salmon) and a chocolate cake called ‘une bûche de Noël’ or Yule log.

le repas de Noël, le souper de Noël (Canada) Christmas dinner
les huîtres oysters
foie gras le foie gras
le saumon fumé smoked salmon
l’oie (f) goose
le pain calendal Christmas loaf
le magret de canard duck breast
le homard lobster
la dinde turkey
la farce stuffing
la sauce le jus de viande gravy
la sauce aux canneberges cranberry sauce
le rôti de bœuf, rosbif roast beef
le jambon ham
les panais parsnips
les choux de Bruxelles Brussels sprouts
le boudin blanc white pudding
la bûche de Noël Yule log
le lait de poule egg nog

Historical & Religious Vocabulary

The French often go to church on Christmas for a midnight mass. The church is called l’église and the midnight mass is ‘la messe de minuit’.

l’église (f) church
le christianisme Christianity
la messe de minuit midnight mass
l’Évangile de Luc Gospel of Luc
le fils de Dieu Son of God
l’anniversaire de Jesus Jesus’ birthday
la nativité nativity
la naissance birth
Jésus de Nazareth Jesus of Nazareth
la ville de Bethléem The city of Bethlehem
le solstice d’hiver winter solstice

Christmas Songs

Singing Christmas songs in French is one of the most fun ways to learn the language. A Christmas carol in French is ‘un chant de Noël’. This page on our site contains five fun Christmas songs in French with French lyrics translated into English.

Christmas song un chant de Noël
Jingle Bells Vive le Vent
Silent Night Douce Nuit
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree Mon Beau Sapin
I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas Noël Blanc
He is Born, The Divine Child Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant
March of the Kings La Marche Des Rois
Angels We Have Heard On High Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes
Little Father Christmas Petit Papa Noël

Christmas Verbs

croire au Père Noël to believe in Santa Claus
fêter Noël to celebrate Christmas
échanger les cadeaux to exchange gifts
déballer un cadeau to unwrap a gift
partager un repas to share a meal
jouer avec les jouets to play with the toys
aller à l’église to go to church

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David Issokson

David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.

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