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Ascension
Ascension Day
Thursday, 14 May 2026 · France · Nationwide · Public holiday
Bridge day check
Falls on a Thursday. Book the Friday off and you get a four-day weekend — the classic bridge day.
Book off 15 May 2026 for 4 days off.
What the day is for
A Thursday Christian feast, and the most reliably bridged day in France — the Friday after is a working day that almost nobody works.
Do shops and banks close?
Banks and most shops close on the Thursday; many businesses close the Friday too.
Getting around
Very heavy Wednesday-evening and Thursday-morning outbound traffic. Book trains early.
When it falls each year
Floating holidays shift; fixed ones move only in which weekday they land on.
2025Thursday · 29 May 2025Bridge to 4 days
2026Thursday · 14 May 2026Bridge to 4 days
2027Thursday · 6 May 2027Bridge to 4 days
2028Thursday · 25 May 2028Bridge to 4 days
2029Thursday · 10 May 2029Bridge to 4 days
See the full France holiday calendar or count the working days.