Noël
Père Noël: who he is and what French children leave out
Père Noël is the French Father Christmas: red coat, white beard, a sleigh pulled by reindeer. He comes on the night of 24 December, and French children leave their shoes by the fireplace or under the tree for him to fill.
le Père Noël
Father Christmas
Say it luh pair no-EL
Père Noël's world, in French
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| la hotte | his sack, a basket worn on the backThe h is silent. | Say it la OT |
| le traîneau | the sleigh | Say it luh tray-NOH |
| les rennes | the reindeer | Say it lay REN |
| les lutins | the elves | Say it lay loo-TAN |
| la cheminée | the fireplace, or the chimney | Say it la shuh-mee-NAY |
| les chaussures | the shoes | Say it lay sho-SOOR |
| le sapin | the Christmas tree | Say it luh sa-PAN |
| la lettre au Père Noël | the letter to Father Christmas | Say it la LET-ruh oh pair no-EL |
| le pôle Nord | the North Pole | Say it luh pohl NOR |
Five phrases for Christmas Eve
- On écrit au Père Noël ? Shall we write to Father Christmas? Say it on ay-KREE oh pair no-EL
- Tu mets tes chaussures devant la cheminée ? Will you put your shoes by the fireplace? Say it too MAY tay sho-SOOR duh-VAHN la shuh-mee-NAY
- Le Père Noël passe cette nuit. Father Christmas comes tonight. Say it luh pair no-EL PASS set NWEE
- Il faut dormir. You need to sleep. Say it eel foh dor-MEER He only comes once everyone is asleep.
- Le Père Noël est passé ! Father Christmas has been! Say it luh pair no-EL ay pa-SAY For the morning.
When does Père Noël come?
On the night of 24 December, while children sleep after le réveillon, the Christmas Eve dinner. Presents are found on the morning of the 25th, or in some families late on the 24th.
Shoes, not stockings
French children put their shoes, leurs chaussures, by the fireplace or under the tree, and Père Noël leaves the presents beside them. Plenty of families still keep the custom in flats with no fireplace at all. The tree does the job.
Letters that get an answer
In France, a letter addressed simply to Père Noël reaches his secretariat at La Poste, the French postal service, and children who include their address get a reply. It has worked this way since 1962.
Three French words are enough to start your own: Cher Père Noël, Dear Father Christmas. Your child can draw the rest.
Père Noël or Saint Nicolas?
Two different visitors. Saint Nicolas comes on 6 December in the north and east of France, with a donkey and a bag of sweets. Père Noël comes on Christmas Eve, everywhere.
One thing to do this week
Write the letter together and say each word as you write it: Cher Père Noël. Then post it, even if the postbox is the fridge.
Free bedtime script
Christmas Eve is still a bedtime
Shoes by the fireplace, then the same bedtime words as every other night of the year.
Ten bedtime phrases, each with a say-it guide, on one page for the bedroom door.
Voilà, it's on its way
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That didn't send, but the script is still yours.
Download it now (PDF)Questions parents ask
What do the French call Santa Claus?
Le Père Noël, Father Christmas. Père means father and Noël means Christmas.
When does Père Noël come in France?
On the night of 24 December, after the réveillon dinner, while the children sleep.
Why do French children leave their shoes out?
It's the traditional French place for presents, the way stockings are in English-speaking homes. The shoes go by the fireplace or under the tree.
Is Père Noël the same as Santa Claus?
Yes, the same figure with a French name and a few French habits: shoes instead of stockings, and a basket on his back called la hotte.
What do French children leave out for Père Noël?
It depends on the family. Many write him a letter weeks before. Some leave a glass of milk and a biscuit, or a carrot for the reindeer.
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Updated 16 October 2026