Why doesn't Noël use a definite article when other holidays do?

Question

Accepted Answer

Hi Anne,
As Chris has already said Noël and Pâques don't have an article in front of them but  the Saints days  do ,
e.g. C'est la St Jean aujourdh'ui or aujourd'hui c'est la Sainte Honorine , ou la Sainte Isabelle, ou la Saint Martin...
It is ( so and so ) Saint' s day today ...
You also use the article with other religious celebrations , e.g. La Toussaint, La Pentecôte, l'Ascention . ( All Saints' day, Pentecost/ Whitsun , Ascention day )
So Noël and Pâques are pretty much the exceptions here,
Hope this helps!

Answer

Hi Ann, I looked at the lesson and couldn't find a difference between Noël and the other holidays. It is either:

1) À Noël -- At Christmas (in general) or
2) Le jour de Noël -- On Christmas Day.

Can you point me to what you have difficulty with exactly?

-- Chris (not a native speaker).

Answer

It is always à la St. Valentin et á la Aïd etc but just À Noël. Just wondering why

Answer

In the lesson you are referencing it is "à Pâques and, "à Hanoucca". The form "à la St. Valentin" is used for name days. Here is the corresponding lesson:

https://french.kwiziq.com/my-languages/french/view/4673

Hope that helps, -- Chris.

Answer

Merci

Answer

Come on, Kwiziq, I was always taught that the accent mark on capital letters was optional.  I got this marked wrong because of the missed accent :(