Holidays
France has 11 public holidays (jours fériés). On holidays, banks, authorities, many shops, and some restaurants are closed. If a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many French people take a bridge (faire le pont) — Monday or Friday becomes a long weekend.
| Date | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Jour de l'An (New Year) | Everything closed |
| Variable (March/April) | Lundi de Pâques (Easter Monday) | Good Friday is not a holiday (except Alsace) |
| May 1 | Fête du Travail (Labor Day) | The only day when everything really closes. Give lily of the valley! |
| May 8 | Victoire 1945 (End of War) | Commemoration of the end of World War II |
| Variable (May/June) | Ascension (Ascension Day) | Always Thursday — very popular for bridge weekends |
| Variable (May/June) | Lundi de Pentecôte (Whit Monday) | Officially a working day (Journée de solidarité), but in practice free |
| July 14 | Fête Nationale (National Day) | Military parade on the Champs-Élysées, fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, Firemen's Balls |
| August 15 | Assomption (Assumption Day) | In the middle of the holiday season, many shops closed |
| November 1 | Toussaint (All Saints' Day) | Cemetery visits, chrysanthemums on graves |
| November 11 | Armistice (Armistice 1918) | Commemoration at the Arc de Triomphe |
| December 25 | Noël (Christmas) | Réveillon (Christmas Eve dinner) on the 24th is the highlight |
Achtung
On July 14, there is a lot going on in many cities — fireworks, street festivals, firemen's balls (Bals des Pompiers). Great for celebrating, but hotels in Paris and on the coast are fully booked. Book early!
