Understanding French holidays and celebrations gives you context for the country’s culture, vocabulary for seasonal conversations, and insight into why certain things are closed when you least expect it.
Public holidays in France (jours fériés)
France has 11 official public holidays. On these days, most businesses, schools, and government offices are closed.
- le 1er janvier — Jour de l’An (New Year’s Day)
- Lundi de Pâques — Easter Monday (date changes each year)
- le 1er mai — Fête du Travail (Labour Day)
- le 8 mai — Victoire 1945 (Victory in Europe Day)
- Ascension — 40 days after Easter
- Lundi de Pentecôte — Whit Monday
- le 14 juillet — Fête Nationale (Bastille Day)
- le 15 août — Assomption (Assumption of Mary)
- le 1er novembre — Toussaint (All Saints’ Day)
- le 11 novembre — Armistice (Remembrance Day)
- le 25 décembre — Noël (Christmas Day)
Seasonal celebrations and traditions
La Chandeleur (February 2)
The French crêpe festival. Families make crêpes and there is a tradition of flipping them with a coin in your hand for good luck. On fait des crêpes à la Chandeleur.
Mardi Gras
Celebrated 47 days before Easter. Carnivals, costumes, and beignets (fried doughnuts). Children often dress up at school.
Pâques (Easter)
Chocolate bells (des cloches en chocolat) and eggs hidden in the garden. The legend says church bells fly to Rome and return on Easter Sunday bringing chocolate.
La Fête des Mères / des Pères
Mother’s Day (dernier dimanche de mai) and Father’s Day (troisième dimanche de juin). Widely celebrated with gifts and family meals.
Le 14 juillet (Bastille Day)
France’s national holiday. Fireworks, bals populaires (street dances), and a military parade on the Champs-Élysées. Bonne fête nationale !
La Toussaint (November 1)
All Saints’ Day. Families visit cemeteries to place des chrysanthèmes (chrysanthemums) on graves. Not a festive occasion — it is quiet and reflective.
Noël (Christmas)
The main meal is le réveillon on the evening of December 24. Gifts are opened on December 25. Traditional foods: la bûche de Noël (Yule log cake), les huîtres (oysters), le foie gras.
Key holiday vocabulary
- les voeux = wishes, greetings
- Joyeux Noël = Merry Christmas
- Bonne année = Happy New Year
- Joyeuses Pâques = Happy Easter
- un jour férié = a public holiday
- le pont = a long weekend (when a holiday falls near a weekend)
Final tip
When a French holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many French people take the Monday or Friday off too. This is called faire le pont (making a bridge). It explains why France can seem very quiet at certain times of year.
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.