The calendar
France has eleven national holidays, heavily weighted towards May: Labour Day, VE Day, Ascension and often Whit Monday can land within four weeks of each other. Alsace-Moselle keeps two extra days that the rest of the country does not.
Country view
France · 2026
20 recorded days · 20 public · 0 bank · 0 school · 9 regional
SponsoredYour ad here · 728 × 90
09In 23 days
Abolition de l'esclavage (Saint-Barthélemy)
Friday · 9 Oct 2026 · Regional
DateHolidayTypeShops shut?
01JanJour de l'an
New Year's Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Vendredi saint
Good Friday (Alsace-Moselle) · Regional · FR-67, FR-68, FR-57
RegionalPartial
Lundi de Pâques
Easter Monday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Abolition de l'esclavage (Mayotte)
Abolition of Slavery Day (Mayotte) · Regional · FR-YT
RegionalPartial
Fête du Travail
Labour Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Victoire 1945
Victory in Europe Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Ascension
Ascension Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Abolition de l'esclavage (Martinique)
Abolition of Slavery Day (Martinique) · Regional · FR-MQ
RegionalPartial
Lundi de Pentecôte
Whit Monday · Nationwide
PublicShut
Abolition de l'esclavage (Guadeloupe)
Abolition of Slavery Day (Guadeloupe) · Regional · FR-GP
RegionalPartial
Abolition de l'esclavage (Saint-Martin)
Abolition of Slavery Day (Saint-Martin) · Regional · FR-MF
RegionalPartial
Abolition de l'esclavage (Guyane)
Abolition of Slavery Day (French Guiana) · Regional · FR-GF
RegionalPartial
Fête nationale
Bastille Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Assomption
Assumption Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Abolition de l'esclavage (Saint-Barthélemy)
Abolition of Slavery Day (Saint-Barthélemy) · Regional · FR-BL
RegionalPartial
Toussaint
All Saints' Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Armistice 1918
Armistice Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Fête de la Liberté (La Réunion)
Abolition of Slavery Day (Réunion) · Regional · FR-RE
RegionalPartial
Noël
Christmas Day · Nationwide
PublicShut
Saint Étienne
St Stephen's Day (Alsace-Moselle) · Regional · FR-67, FR-68, FR-57
RegionalPartial
● Public most things closed · ● Bank banks only · ● Regional some areas · ● School term dates
How the holiday year works in France
How people take the days
Faire le pont is the national sport of the French calendar — Ascension always falls on a Thursday, and the Friday after it is effectively a holiday in practice. Only 1 May is a mandatory paid non-working day; the others depend on collective agreements.
If you're visiting
Boulangeries and restaurants open, supermarkets vary, banks and post offices close. On 1 May even the big supermarkets shut, which catches out most visitors. Transport runs a Sunday service.
If you live here
Holidays falling on a weekend are not replaced. Many employers grant RTT days instead of paying overtime under the 35-hour framework — those, not the public holidays, are what make French leave generous.
What these days actually mean
Observance, business closures and transport impact for the next few dates.
Abolition of Slavery Day (Saint-Barthélemy)
9 Oct 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work. It applies only in certain regions rather than nationwide.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.
All Saints' Day
1 Nov 2026
- Observance
- Families visit cemeteries with flowers and candles. Quiet and reflective rather than festive.
- Business
- Banks and most shops closed in Catholic-majority countries; florists do their busiest day of the year.
- Transport
- Extra services to cemeteries; heavy intercity travel over the weekend.
Armistice Day
11 Nov 2026
- Observance
- Marks the 1918 armistice at 11am, observed at every village war memorial. A solemn civic date rather than a festive one.
- Business
- Banks, schools and most shops close.
- Transport
- Sunday timetables; brief local closures around 11am ceremonies.
Written for this country
Abolition of Slavery Day (Réunion)
20 Dec 2026
- Observance
- Officially recognised as a public holiday, so most people have the day off work. It applies only in certain regions rather than nationwide.
- Business
- Expect offices, banks and the majority of shops to be closed.
- Transport
- Public transport usually runs a Sunday or holiday timetable.
General guidance based on this day's official classification, not country-specific reporting.