We’ve been singing it all season long, but what are we talking about?

Christophe Lehenaff/Getty Images

The first Noel… whatdidthe angel say, exactly?

It also operates in two forms: lowercase (noel) and capitalized (Noel).

nativity scene

Photo:Christophe Lehenaff/Getty Images

The former means a Christmas carol, and the latter translates to Christmas.

For girls, its often spelled, Noelle.