Learn French: J'aime la fête de Noël. - I like the Christmas holiday.

In French, when a short word like je ends in a vowel and the next word begins with a vowel like aime, you drop the first vowel and add an apostrophe. This makes the words flow together more smoothly when you speak.

I thought fête meant party. Why does it mean holiday here?

The word fête is very flexible. It can mean a party, but it also means a holiday, festival, or celebration. When you see la fête de followed by a holiday name, it refers to the celebration of that specific holiday.

Why do we need the word de in la fête de Noël?

In English, we can put two nouns right next to each other, like Christmas holiday. In French, you usually have to connect them with de (which means of). So literally, this translates to the holiday of Christmas.

What do the two dots above the e in Noël do?

Those two dots are a special accent mark. They tell you to pronounce that vowel separately from the vowel right before it. Without them, the letters o and e might blend together. With them, you pronounce it as two distinct sounds: no-elle.