Planning a trip to France or want to impress your French-speaking friends during holiday celebrations? Knowing the right vocabulary can make all the difference! From festive greetings to essential items, this guide will equip you with 20 key French words and phrases related to holidays. Let's get ready to celebrate!
| French Word | English Meaning | French Sentence | English Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Les vacances | Holidays / Vacation | Nous partons en vacances en août. | We are going on vacation in August. |
| Noël | Christmas | Joyeux Noël ! | Merry Christmas! |
| Le Nouvel An | New Year | Bonne année ! | Happy New Year! |
| Pâques | Easter | Les enfants cherchent les œufs de Pâques. | The children are looking for Easter eggs. |
| Un cadeau | A gift / A present | J'ai reçu un beau cadeau pour mon anniversaire. | I received a beautiful gift for my birthday. |
| Le sapin de Noël | The Christmas tree | Nous décorons le sapin de Noël ensemble. | We decorate the Christmas tree together. |
| La fête | The party / The celebration | Il y aura une grande fête pour le 14 juillet. | There will be a big party for July 14th. |
| Le réveillon | Christmas Eve / New Year's Eve | Nous mangeons de la dinde pour le réveillon de Noël. | We eat turkey for Christmas Eve. |
| La décoration | The decoration | Les décorations de Noël sont magnifiques. | The Christmas decorations are magnificent. |
| La famille | The family | Nous passons les fêtes en famille. | We spend the holidays with family. |
| Le feu d'artifice | The fireworks | Le feu d'artifice du 14 juillet était spectaculaire. | The fireworks on July 14th were spectacular. |
| Le congé | The day off / The holiday (as in a public holiday) | Demain est un jour férié, c'est un congé. | Tomorrow is a public holiday, it's a day off. |
| Le voyage | The trip / The journey | Notre voyage de noces était inoubliable. | Our honeymoon trip was unforgettable. |
| La célébration | The celebration | La célébration de l'anniversaire a duré toute la nuit. | The birthday celebration lasted all night. |
| Le repas | The meal | Nous avons préparé un grand repas pour la fête. | We prepared a big meal for the party. |
| La tradition | The tradition | Chaque famille a ses propres traditions de Noël. | Each family has its own Christmas traditions. |
| Le marché de Noël | The Christmas market | J'adore flâner au marché de Noël. | I love strolling through the Christmas market. |
| Le jour férié | The public holiday | Le 1er mai est un jour férié en France. | May 1st is a public holiday in France. |
| L'hospitalité | The hospitality | Nous avons été très bien accueillis, quelle hospitalité ! | We were welcomed very well, what hospitality! |
| Le rassemblement | The gathering | C'est un moment de rassemblement familial. | It's a moment of family gathering. |
🛡️ Fact-Checked & Reviewed By Linguist Amélie Laurent
Last Updated: May 9, 2026
Last Updated: May 9, 2026
