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French Public Holidays
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A calendar of the national vacation days when businesses, schools and banks may close and most people get the day off in France...
The
French for: bank holiday/public holiday/legal holiday is un jour férié. French
organisations and businesses close on public holidays. Although some shopping
centres and grocers open for part of the day, the majority of shops do not.
Police stations and hospitals do not close.
When a public holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, it is common practice to "make the bridge" (faire le pont) by taking off the Friday or Monday so creating a very long weekend. When this happens you may find businesses running on short staff or smaller family run business closed for the full period.
Public
Holidays 2021
- 1st
January - New Year's Day
- 2nd
April - Good Friday (Alsace and
Moselle only)
- 4th
April – Easter Sunday
- 5th
April – Easter Monday
- 1st May - Labour
Day
- 8th
May - Victory Day
- 13th May - Ascension
Day
- 24th
May - Whit Monday
- 14th
July - National Day
- 15th
August - Assumption Day
- 1st
November - All Saints' Day
- 11th
November - Armistice Day
- 25th
December - Christmas Day
- 26th
December - Saint Stephen's Day (Alsace and Moselle only)
Further
Information
The Ministère du Travail has
information on the law as it affects employment and national public holidays.
Dates of French school holidays can be found from the Department of
Education.
More information Public Holidays.fr