3 French expressions to know for Christmas

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. so what better way than to give you some French expressions about Christmas to shine at your family dinner.

1. “Croire au Père-Noël” Believe in Santa Claus

When you are a child, it is lovely to believe in Santa Claus.
If someone says to you as a grownup, “You believe in Santa Claus,” they are saying that you are delusional and that you believe in promises that are manifestly impossible to keep.
Ouch!

Example: Did you purchase presents online on December 23 with the expectation of receiving them the following day?
Tu crois au Père-Noël !

2. “Ne pas être un cadeau” Not being a gift

Children who are well-behaved receive gifts from Santa Claus, and when we receive them, we are happy.
However, “not being a gift” refers to when we find someone or something to be constricting or disagreeable.

Example: That’s not a present; we’ll have to endure Aunt Sophie’s New Year’s Eve tales once more!

Ce n’est pas un cadeau ; nous allons devoir endurer les histoires du réveillon de tante Sophie une fois de plus !

3. “Être le dindon de la farce” Being the butt of the joke

Without the customary chestnut turkey, what would Christmas dinner be?
This noun phrase, taken from the animal lexicon, means that someone has been fooled, that he or she is being tricked, deceived and ridiculed, or that he or she is being tricked while being laughed at.

Example : “You don’t intend to be the butt of the joke, perhaps!”

« Tu n’entends pas être le dindon de la farce, peut-être ! »

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