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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 businesses closed for the full period.
Public Holidays 2022
- 1st
January - New Year's Day
- 15th April - Good Friday (Alsace and
Moselle only)
- 17th April - Easter Sunday
- 18th April - Easter Monday
- 1st May - Labour
Day
- 8th
May - Victory Day
- 26th May - Ascension
Day
- 6th June - 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)
- For a list of dates Public Holidays for the current year
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