Public holidays in France

There are 11 official public holidays in France.[1] The Alsace region and the Moselle department observe 2 additional days.[2] These holidays do not shift when they fall during a week-end,[3] which means that the average number of observed public holidays falling on weekdays is 8.7 and ranges from 7 to 10.[4] Most Asian countries and all North American countries observe between 2 and 10 more public holidays per year on weekdays.[5]

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French etching from 1789 depicting the storming of the Bastille, commemorated as Bastille Day

Public holidays in France
DateEnglish nameLocal nameRemarks
1 JanuaryNew Year's DayNouvel An
moveableGood FridayVendredi saintFriday before Easter Sunday. Alsace and Moselle only.[6]
moveableEaster MondayLundi de PâquesMonday after Easter Sunday (one day after Easter Sunday)
1 MayLabour DayFête du Travail
8 MayVictory DayFête de la VictoireEnd of hostilities in Europe in World War II
moveableAscension DayAscensionThursday, 39 days after Easter Sunday
moveableWhit MondayLundi de PentecôteMonday after Pentecost (50 days after Easter), observed only in some businesses, see notes
14 JulyBastille DayFête nationale françaiseFrench national day, commemorates the Feast of the Federation
15 AugustAssumption DayAssomption
1 NovemberAll Saints' DayToussaint
11 NovemberArmistice DayArmisticeEnd of World War I.[7]
25 DecemberChristmas DayNoëlNewspapers are not published. Pubs, restaurants, shops, etc. closed all day by law.
26 DecemberSaint Stephen's DaySaint EtienneAlsace and Moselle only.[6]

Overseas territories

Guadeloupe

French Guiana

Martinique

New Caledonia
  • Citizenship Day (Fête de la citoyenneté): September 24.[13]

French Polynesia

Réunion
  • Réunion Freedom Day (Fête réunionnaise de la liberté; Fèt Kaf) December 20.[16]

Saint Barthélemy

Saint Martin

Wallis and Futuna
  • Feast of Saint Peter Chanel: April 28.[19]
  • Festival of the territory (Fête du territoire): July 29.[20]

Notes

Note: French law dictates that work should stop, but be paid, only for the Fête du Travail (May Day, 1 May),[21] except in industries where it is infeasible to stop working.[22] The rest of the public holidays are listed in statute law,[23] but law does not dictate that work should stop; however a leave from work may be granted by the employer or by convention collective (agreement between employers' and employees' unions).

In 2005, French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin removed Pentecost (Whit) Monday's status as a public holiday. This decision was eventually overruled by French courts in 2008. Employers are free to decide whether to make Whit Monday a day off or not.[24]

References
  1. French labor law, L3133-3
  2. French labor law, IDCC 1686
  3. French labor law, IDCC 1686
  4. French wikipédia
  5. Employee holiday entitlement around the world, Mercer
  6. "Jours fériés dans la fonction publique".
  7. "France Public Holidays in 2021 -". calendarific.com.
  8. "La mi-carême : une vieille tradition". Guadeloupe la 1ère.
  9. "Slavery Abolition Day". WebPlus.info — Holiday Calendar.
  10. Mohsin, Haroon (26 August 2022). "Slavery Abolition Day (French Guiana)". National Today.
  11. Ahmed, Hassan (10 June 2022). "French Guiana commemorates Abolition Day".
  12. "Celebrating the abolition of slavery". Société de plantation, histoire et mémoires de l’esclavage à La Réunion.
  13. "Fête de la citoyenneté". Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. 17 September 2019.
  14. "Arrivée de l'Evangile et de la première bible traduite en tahitien". Polynésie la 1ère.
  15. "Célébration de la Fête de l'Autonomie".
  16. "Fèt Kaf". Reunion Island.
  17. Mohsin, Haroon (26 August 2022). "Saint Barthélemy: Abolition Day". National Today.
  18. "St. Martin News Network - Abolition of Slavery in Saint-Martin: a 28th of May…". smn-news.com.
  19. Melton, J. Gordon (13 September 2011). "Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations [2 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations". ABC-CLIO – via Google Books.
  20. "Fête du Territoire 29 juillet 2022 / Actualités / Accueil - les services de l'État à Wallis et Futuna".
  21. Code du Travail, L3133-4
  22. Code du Travail, L3133-6
  23. Code du Travail, L3133-1
  24. LOI n° 2008 – 351
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