French Vocab - Festivals and Celebrations

General Terms

  • fête – celebration/party

  • célébration – celebration

  • tradition – tradition

  • invité(s) – guest(s)

  • cadeau – gift

  • décoration – decoration

  • feux d’artifice – fireworks

  • repas – meal

Verbs Commonly Used

  • célébrer – to celebrate

  • inviter – to invite

  • décorer – to decorate

  • offrir – to offer/give (a gift)

  • fêter – to party/celebrate

  • manger – to eat

  • danser – to dance

  • partager – to share

French Festivals

  • Noël – Christmas

  • le 14 juillet – Bastille Day (National Day in France)

  • Pâques – Easter

  • la Toussaint – All Saints’ Day

Descriptive Adjectives

  • joyeux(-euse) – joyful, happy

  • familial(e) – family-oriented

  • festif(-ve) – festive

  • traditionnel(le) – traditional

  • coloré(e) – colorful

  • religieux(-euse) – religious

  • animé(e) – lively

1. Noël (Christmas)

  • sapin de Noël – Christmas tree

  • boule de Noël – Christmas ornament

  • guirlande – garland

  • cadeau – gift

  • réveillon – Christmas Eve dinner

  • bûche de Noël – Yule log cake

  • Père Noël – Santa Claus

  • messe de minuit – midnight mass

  • crèche – nativity scene

2. Le 14 Juillet (Bastille Day)

  • feux d’artifice – fireworks

  • défilé militaire – military parade

  • bal des pompiers – firefighters' ball

  • drapeau tricolore – French flag (tricolor flag)

  • musique patriotique – patriotic music

  • Champs-Élysées – avenue where the parade takes place in Paris

  • La Marseillaise – the French national anthem

  • bals populaires – public dances

3. Pâques (Easter)

  • œuf de Pâques – Easter egg

  • chocolat – chocolate

  • cloche de Pâques – Easter bell (in France, it’s traditional to say the bells bring the eggs)

  • agneau de Pâques – Easter lamb (traditional Easter dish)

  • chasse aux œufs – egg hunt

  • messe de Pâques – Easter mass

  • lapin de Pâques – Easter bunny

4. La Toussaint (All Saints' Day)

  • cimetière – cemetery

  • fleur – flower (often chrysanthemums are used)

  • chrysanthème – chrysanthemum

  • tombe – grave

  • bougie – candle

  • prière – prayer

  • messe – mass

  • famille – family (since families often gather to honor the deceased)