Public holidays in France


There are eleven official public holidays in France, of which three are movable days which always fall on a weekday. The Alsace region and the Moselle department observe two additional days. These holidays do not shift when they fall during a weekend, which means that the average number of observed public holidays falling on weekdays is 8.7 and ranges from seven to ten. Most Asian countries and all North American countries observe between two and ten more public holidays per year on weekdays.

Public holidays in France

DateEnglish nameLocal nameRemarks
1 JanuaryNew Year's DayJour de l'An
moveableGood FridayVendredi saintFriday before Easter Sunday. Alsace and Moselle only.
moveableEaster MondayLundi de PâquesMonday after Easter Sunday
1 MayLabour DayFête du Travail
8 MayVictory DayVictoire 1945End of hostilities in Europe in World War II
moveableAscension DayL'AscensionThursday, 39 days after Easter Sunday
moveableWhit MondayLundi de PentecôteMonday after Pentecost, observed only in some businesses, see notes
14 JulyNational DayFête nationale françaiseFrench National Day, commemorates the Feast of the Federation
15 AugustAssumption DayL'Assomption
1 NovemberAll Saints' DayLa Toussaint
11 NovemberArmistice DayArmistice 1918End of World War I
25 DecemberChristmas DayNoëlNewspapers are not published. Pubs, restaurants, shops, etc. closed all day by law.
26 DecemberSaint Stephen's DaySaint ÉtienneAlsace and Moselle only.

Overseas territories

[Guadeloupe]

Mi-Carême ; occurs on a Thursday, 22 days after Ash Wednesday; therefore, between 26 February and 1 April.Good Friday
  • Abolition of slavery: 27 May.

[French Guiana]

  • Abolition of slavery: 10 June.

[Martinique]

[New Caledonia]

Citizenship Day : 24 September.

[French Polynesia]

Missionary Day : 5 March.Matari'i : 31 November.

[Réunion]

Réunion Freedom Day 20 December.

[Saint Barthélemy]

Saint Martin">Collectivity of Saint Martin">Saint Martin

[Wallis and Futuna]

Feast of Saint Peter Chanel: 28 April.Festival of the Territory: 29 July.