Christmas Season Treats : 10 Must-know Holiday Greetings in French

Christmas Season Treats: 5 Must-know Holiday Greetings in French

 

1. Joyeux Noël

 Learn how to say “Merry Christmas.” Joyeux translates to “joyous,” while Noël is simply the word used for “Christmas.” After you’ve mastered the pronunciation, use it as your number one go-to for Christmas greetings—and as a starter phrase for building even more holiday phrases.
 

2. Joyeuse Fête des Rois

The Day of Three Kings, or the Épiphanie (Epiphany) on January 6th, celebrates the New Year in a unique way. It’s the celebration of the day the three wise men brought gifts to the Christ child.

French families bake a galette des rois, or a Kings’ Cake, and cook inside of it a “lucky charm,” which is typically a small figurine of a king. The person who finds the charm in their slice of cake is crowned King or Queen.

3. Bonnes et Heureuses Fêtes! / Joyeuses Fêtes

If you get sick of saying Joyeux Noël over and over, you can switch to Bonnes et Heureuses Fêtes! or Joyeuses Fêtes (either one means “Happy Holidays”), which is a good substitute for Meilleurs vœux and a great way to greet someone and catch all the season’s events together, especially if you’re not sure whether they celebrate Christmas or not. This one is great for people who might not celebrate Christmas.
 

4. Bonne année et bonne santé

Even before Christmas Day has come and gone, Bonne année et bonne santé, which means “Happy New Year and good health” (and which might be our equivalent of “Blessings” in English), is one of the most common holiday greetings. This might be because à votre santé (to your health) is already the phrase used when toasting, so wishing good health during the holiday season is only natural. Either way, it’s a lovely phrase that both observes the happiness of the holiday season and wishes a pleasant and happy New Year.
 

5. Vœux de Bonheur pour un Joyeux Noël

Here’s an example of when Joyeux Noël is used as only part of the greeting. Vœux de Bonheur pour un Joyeux Noël means “Happy wishes for a Merry Christmas,” and is a more pleasant and also more advanced way to wish someone a Merry Christmas. It’s most often used in holiday cards and messages, so feel free to jazz up your writing with it.

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