How to Say Merry Christmas in French (Joyeux Noël)

Merry Christmas in French is joyeux Noël — warm, festive, and easy to say once you get the vowels right. But the French also lean heavily on a broader, more inclusive greeting, bonnes fêtes (“happy holidays”), which covers the whole December stretch from Christmas through New Year. Knowing when to use each — plus a few words about the very French réveillon feast — will let you trade season’s greetings like a local.

The main way to say it

Joyeux Noël — pronounced zhwah-yuh no-EL.

Pronunciation notes:

• Joyeux is “zhwah-yuh” — soft “zh” (like the s in “measure”), then a rounded French -eux ending, lips forward.
• Noël is no-EL, two clean syllables. The two dots (ë, a tréma) tell you to pronounce the o and e separately — not “nole.” Stress the last syllable: no-EL.

Bonnes fêtes and the wider greeting

• Bonnes fêtes ! (bun FET) — “happy holidays,” literally “good festivities.” The catch-all for the season, and what you’ll say to people you’re not sure celebrate Christmas, or across the whole late-December period.
• Joyeuses fêtes (zhwah-yuhz FET) — “happy holidays,” a slightly warmer variant.
• Joyeux Noël et bonne année — “Merry Christmas and happy New Year,” the classic combined wish.
• Bonne année ! (bun ah-NAY) — “Happy New Year,” said on and around January 1st (the French say it a lot, often through most of January).
• Bonnes fêtes de fin d’année — “happy end-of-year holidays,” the full formal version on cards.
• Meilleurs vœux (may-yuhr VUH) — “best wishes,” the elegant written formula on holiday cards.

On a card or in a message

• Je te souhaite un joyeux Noël — “I wish you a merry Christmas” (informal).
• Je vous souhaite de joyeuses fêtes — “I wish you happy holidays” (formal).

Hear it in context

Leaving work before the holidays (warm):

— Allez, je pars en vacances. Joyeux Noël à toute la famille ! — Merci, à toi aussi ! Bonnes fêtes et repose-toi bien. — Merci, on se voit en janvier. Bonne année d’avance !

Right, I’m off on holiday. Merry Christmas to the whole family! — Thanks, you too! Happy holidays and get some rest. — Thanks, see you in January. Happy New Year in advance!

Toasting at the Christmas Eve dinner (festive):

— Joyeux Noël, tout le monde ! Santé ! — Joyeux Noël ! À la famille et aux absents. — Santé ! Et bon réveillon !

Merry Christmas, everyone! Cheers! — Merry Christmas! To family and to those who couldn’t be here. — Cheers! And happy Christmas Eve feast!

Common mistakes

• Saying “nole” for Noël. The tréma (ë) means you split the vowels: no-EL, two syllables. Running them together is the giveaway.
• Using joyeux Noël for everyone in December. If you’re unsure someone celebrates Christmas, bonnes fêtes is the safe, inclusive choice.
• Mixing up bonne année timing. Joyeux Noël is for Christmas; bonne année is for New Year. Don’t wish someone bonne année on December 24th (though bonne année d’avance — “in advance” — works).
• Forgetting the accents. Noël needs the tréma and fêtes needs the circumflex — they’re part of the words, and they change the pronunciation cue.
• Over-using Merry Christmas commercially. The French holiday season centers on bonnes fêtes and the family réveillon more than a constant “Merry Christmas” the way English-speaking retail does.

A Parisian note

In France, the heart of Christmas is le réveillon de Noël — the long, lavish dinner on Christmas Eve (December 24th), often stretching past midnight, with foie gras, oysters, bûche de Noël (the traditional yule-log cake), and plenty of wine and Champagne. Gifts are frequently opened that night or on Christmas morning, and many families attend la messe de minuit (midnight Mass). A week later comes le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre — New Year’s Eve — another feast. Across the whole span, bonnes fêtes is the phrase that carries you through, and it’s completely normal to keep wishing people bonne année well into January the first time you see them in the new year.

Related phrases

• How to say happy birthday in French — the other big celebration greeting, with its own song and rituals.
• How to say cheers in French — the santé ! you’ll raise at every holiday toast.
• Keep building your festive vocabulary with our guide to common French phrases.

FAQ

How do you pronounce “Noël”? It’s no-EL, two separate syllables, with the stress on the second. The two dots over the ë (a tréma) tell you to pronounce the o and the e separately — don’t blend them into “nole.”

What’s the difference between “joyeux Noël” and “bonnes fêtes”? Joyeux Noël means specifically “Merry Christmas.” Bonnes fêtes means “happy holidays” and covers the whole season — use it when you’re not sure someone celebrates Christmas, or to wish someone well across the late-December stretch.

How do I say “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year”? Joyeux Noël et bonne année. On cards, the French also use meilleurs vœux (“best wishes”) or bonnes fêtes de fin d’année (“happy end-of-year holidays”).

What is “le réveillon”? It’s the festive feast on Christmas Eve (le réveillon de Noël) — a long, elaborate family dinner, often past midnight. New Year’s Eve has its own réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre.

When do the French say “bonne année”? Around New Year’s — on December 31st and January 1st, and typically the first time you see someone in the new year, often through much of January. Saying it “in advance” (bonne année d’avance) before the 31st is common too.