People are only just realising why the word ‘Noel’ is linked to Christmas.
The word seems to be rolled out reliably at this time of year, whether that be in Christmas songs, scrawled on festive decorations or on greeting cards, it’s a word we’ve all come to associate with December. But few of us know what it really means.
One person who was none the wiser is Austin Jackson, who posts under the username austinjackson95 on TikTok and shared the meaning of the word as soon as he found out. He wrote: “Embarassed to say I just learnt that ‘Noel’ actually means Christmas in French. The song never made sense to me, and just associated it with Christmas.”
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The clip has since been viewed hundreds of times, and it’s fair to say Austin wasn’t the only one who was taken by surprise. Many admitted they never knew it was a French word.
One person replied: “Make room for me in this club. I had no clue.” Another wrote: “I thought it was a guy’s name, kinda like Noah, but Noel.” A third also chimed in with: “Literally have always wondered this.”
But, even though it does mean Christmas in French, the term also carries a much deeper meaning at this time of year. More often than not, Noel is usually used in a religious context.
While some people do wish each other a “Happy Noel”, the word is more commonly included on things like Christmas cards and decorations. Most people know the word due to the popular Christmas carol “The First Noel.”
According to dictionary.com, the word Noel was first recorded in English from the early 1800s. It was derived from the French Nöel, as “Joyeux Noël” means “Merry Christmas” in French.
So, the next time you hear the famous festive tune, now you can sing a long to it with a little more passion, as you know exactly what it means. You really do learn something new every day.