What is New Year's Eve called in France?

New Year’s Eve is called Saint-Sylvestre in France.

The name comes from Saint Sylvester I, whose feast day is observed on December 31 in the Western Christian calendar. In French, the evening is also commonly called le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre, referring to the celebratory meal or late-night gathering associated with the occasion.

French celebrations often include a réveillon dinner with family or friends, sparkling wine, special food, and midnight greetings. In popular usage, people may simply say le Nouvel An for New Year’s celebrations more generally, while Saint-Sylvestre specifically identifies December 31.

Saint-Sylvestre is not the same as Bastille Day, France’s national holiday on July 14. Chandeleur is observed on February 2, and Fête de la Musique takes place on June 21. These calendar distinctions help prevent the French names for major celebrations from being mixed up.