When Tino Rossi performed this Christmas lullaby in the 1946 French film Destins, he couldn't have suspected that "Petit Papa Noël" would become France's best selling single of all time, with more than 5.7 million copies sold. This secular Christmas carol, in which a child prays for his dear Santa to bring him his presents safely, has known many interpreters over the decades, in France (Dalida, Claude François, Chantal Goya ...) and abroad (The Red Army Choir, Roberto Alagna, Josh Groban, Céline Dion...). So brighten up your holiday season by singing along to this French cult classic with our bilingual article below.
After listening to the song, scroll down for the transcript in our bilingual reader, where you can click any French phrase for the English translation and related grammar lessons.

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