Noel is a French word for “Christmas,” whose origins go back to the concepts of the birth of the church.

From worthless trinkets to misnamed chickens, here are the histories and etymologies of 13 Christmassy words.

Key points Yule descends from an Old Norse word for the winter solstice. Noel entered English from Old French after the Norman Conquest. Christmas and Xmas have roots in Ancient Greek.

Each language carries its own charm, and the phrase “Merry Christmas” sounds unique in every culture. From "Feliz Navidad" in Spanish to "Joyeux Noël" in French, these words are a gateway to ...

I learned at a young age that starting international or multicultural holiday traditions can be fun (and delicious). Every Christmas, my Russian great-aunt, who taught high school French in New ...