What is the name of New Year's Eve in France, often celebrated with a festive meal?

The French name for New Year's Eve, often celebrated with a festive meal, is Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre.

Réveillon is a late-night festive meal associated with major holidays, while Saint Sylvestre refers to December 31, the feast day of Saint Sylvester. Together, the expression identifies the New Year's Eve celebration in French-speaking contexts. Menus can include seafood, oysters, foie gras, pâtisserie and sparkling wine, although actual foods vary by household and region.

People may celebrate at home, in restaurants or at organized parties. Midnight toasts and social gatherings are common, but there is no single mandatory national menu or ritual. Paris also hosts public festivities, though the scale and format can change from year to year.

The term should not be confused with Chandeleur, the February candle-related festival, or Mardi Gras, the pre-Lenten carnival period. “Réveillon” alone can describe other late-night holiday meals, including Christmas Eve, so the Saint-Sylvestre wording is the precise New Year's reference.