Noels

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A festive song traditionally sung during the Christmas season, emphasizing themes of joy and celebration
2. A term used to reference Christmas carols or hymns that recount the birth of Jesus
3. Describing the joyful music often performed in churches or gatherings to mark holiday festivities

Etymology: "Noels" is simply the plural of "noel," so the real story is in the singular. The word traces back to the Latin adjective "natalis," meaning "natal" or "having to do with birth." Over time it passed through Middle French and Anglo-Norman, where a variant form "nael" gave rise to "noel," and eventually entered Middle English as "nowel." The Latin root tells you why the word became a Christmas term: "natalis" was tied to birthdays, and in the Christian calendar the birth of Christ was the great natal celebration. The word's original sense was simply about birth, and its festive meaning grew from that connection to the Nativity.

Synonyms: carols, songs, hymns, festivities, celebrations