In France, people start talking about « faire le pont » as early as May, and everyone knows the 14 July parade. Public holidays shape the year, the holidays and even office conversations. But how many are there, what do they celebrate, and do people really get the day off?
Here is the full calendar, the origin of each public holiday, the traditions that go with them and the vocabulary to talk about them like a French person.
Key takeaways
- France has 11 official public holidays, plus 2 more in Alsace and Moselle.
- Only 1 May is a compulsory day off for all employees; for the others, it depends on the company.
- A public holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday is not moved to another day.
- « Faire le pont » means taking a day off between a public holiday and the weekend.
The 11 public holidays in France
Some public holidays have a fixed date; others depend on the date of Easter and change every year. Here is the calendar, with the 2027 dates.
| Public holiday | Date | In 2027 | What it celebrates |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day (Jour de l’An) | 1 January | Friday 1 January | the start of the new year |
| Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques) | varies | Monday 29 March | the day after Easter, the Christian feast of the Resurrection |
| Labour Day (Fête du Travail) | 1 May | Saturday 1 May | workers’ rights |
| Victory in Europe Day (Victoire 1945) | 8 May | Saturday 8 May | the end of the Second World War in Europe |
| Ascension Day (Ascension) | varies | Thursday 6 May | Christian feast, forty days after Easter |
| Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte) | varies | Monday 17 May | Christian feast, fifty days after Easter |
| Bastille Day (Fête nationale) | 14 July | Wednesday 14 July | the storming of the Bastille (1789) and the Fête de la Fédération (1790) |
| Assumption (Assomption) | 15 August | Sunday 15 August | Christian feast of the Virgin Mary |
| All Saints’ Day (Toussaint) | 1 November | Monday 1 November | Christian feast of all the saints |
| Armistice Day (Armistice 1918) | 11 November | Thursday 11 November | the end of the First World War |
| Christmas (Noël) | 25 December | Saturday 25 December | Christian feast of the birth of Jesus |
In Alsace and Moselle, two days are added: Good Friday (Friday 26 March in 2027) and St Stephen’s Day on 26 December. This is a legacy of the period when these territories were part of Germany, from 1871 to 1918.
A public holiday is not always a day off
A public holiday (jour férié) is not automatically a day off (jour chômé). Only 1 May is a compulsory paid day off for all employees, except in activities that cannot stop (hospitals, transport, hospitality…). For the other public holidays, it depends on the company, the collective agreement or an internal agreement. In practice, most offices, public services and schools are closed.
Whit Monday has a special status: many companies make it their « journée de solidarité », a working day that is not paid, introduced to fund care for elderly and disabled people. Each company can, however, choose another date.
Another French peculiarity: when a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is not moved to the Monday, unlike in some other countries. 2027 will be an unlucky year for employees, with 1 May, 8 May and Christmas all falling on a Saturday!
The traditions of each public holiday
- New Year’s Day: people wish each other « bonne année » and send their greetings throughout January. The night before, they celebrate the « réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre ».
- Easter: children hunt for chocolate eggs, brought, according to tradition, by the church bells returning from Rome.
- 1 May: people give a sprig of lily of the valley (muguet) for good luck, and trade unions organise marches.
- 8 May and 11 November: ceremonies are held at the war memorial (monument aux morts) in every town and village.
- 14 July: a big military parade on the Champs-Élysées in the morning, fireworks and public dances in the evening, including the famous firefighters’ balls (bals des pompiers), often the night before.
- All Saints’ Day: many families decorate their loved ones’ graves with chrysanthemums.
- Christmas: the big family meal takes place on the evening of 24 December, the « réveillon », or at lunchtime on the 25th.
Watch out: do not confuse All Saints’ Day (1 November, a public holiday) with All Souls’ Day (2 November), which is not. And since chrysanthemums are associated with cemeteries, never give them as a gift in France!
Public holiday vocabulary
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| un jour férié | an official public holiday | « Le 14 Juillet est un jour férié. » |
| un jour chômé | a day when people do not work | « Le 1er Mai est chômé dans toutes les entreprises. » |
| faire le pont | to take a day off between a public holiday and the weekend | « L’Ascension tombe un jeudi : je fais le pont vendredi. » |
| faire le viaduc | to take several days off around a public holiday | « Avec deux jours de congé, on a fait le viaduc ! » |
| un week-end prolongé | a long weekend of three days or more | « On part en week-end prolongé pour la Pentecôte. » |
| les ponts de mai | the many long weekends in May | « Avec les ponts de mai, le bureau est à moitié vide. » |
These expressions come up in every conversation at work, especially in spring, when people plan their time off.
Going further
Holidays and traditions are a great conversation topic, ideal for practising the past (« Qu’est-ce que tu as fait pour le 14 Juillet ? ») and the future (« Tu vas faire le pont ? »). Our French conversation lessons and the Live French Club let you practise this vocabulary with native teachers. To see where you stand, take our French level test.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays are there in France?
France has 11 official public holidays. Alsace and Moselle have two more: Good Friday and St Stephen’s Day on 26 December.
Do you have to work on a public holiday in France?
Only 1 May is a compulsory day off for all employees, except in activities that cannot stop. For the other public holidays, it depends on the company and the collective agreement.
What does « faire le pont » mean?
Faire le pont means taking a day off between a public holiday and the weekend. For example, when Ascension Day falls on a Thursday, many French people also take the Friday off.
Is a public holiday that falls on a Sunday moved to another day?
No. In France, a public holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday is not moved to another day.
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