Holidays & Celebrations

French public holidays: important dates in 2022 and 2023

Living in France? Here’s a list of all the French public holidays you need to know in 2022 and 2023, as well as other important dates to make a note of on your calendar.

French holidays
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By Expatica

Updated 8-1-2024

Whether you’re living in France or just visiting, below is a list of important French holidays to mark down. Many businesses in France close for national holidays. However, some shopping centers and grocers may stay open on holidays, even if only for half a day.

To ensure you don’t miss out on anything important, our guide puts together a list of France’s public holidays and important dates.

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An overview of French public holidays

France observes 11 public holidays each year. However, only May Day is a statutory holiday in France; the entitlement to other paid holidays and the conditions for working on French national holidays (such as higher pay) are left to the discretion of the employer-employee contract or union, so check the French holiday calendar when looking for jobs in France.

Most French holidays apply across the nation, although two regions (Alsace and Lorraine) have two extra public holidays. The former German territory retained these two extra public holidays when it rejoined France after World War I.

If a national holiday in France falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is usually given as a holiday. If a national holiday in France falls on a Saturday, however, no extra day is given during the week. When holiday fall on a Tuesday or Thursday, employees in France commonly make a bridge holiday (faire le pont), creating a very long weekend. Some businesses may opt to close completely during a bridge holiday in France. You can see which French bank holidays coincide with the best French festivals; it’s also a great reason to travel the country and experience French food and culture.

The biggest holidays in France

The two most widely celebrated holidays in France are Bastille Day (14 July) and All Saints Day (1 November). The first French national holiday commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789 and is a celebration of nationhood with communal fireworks, tricolor flags flying, and moules frites at the mairie.

The second French holiday, the Catholic holy day of La Toussaint or All Saints, is a more private affair where families place flowers – most commonly chrysanthemums – on graves in honor of their dead relatives, and then go home for a huge lunch. All Saints Day falls on the day after Halloween, although Halloween is a somewhat controversial celebration in France. However, it is increasingly popular as a holiday in France, especially in the larger cities.

Bastille Day celebrations
Bastille Day is one of the biggest French holidays celebrated around the country (Photo: Yiwen/Unsplash)

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in France are on 24 and 25 December and are also widely celebrated French holidays, although in parts of northern and eastern France some children receive presents on the morning of St Nicholas’ Day on 6 December.

Read a list of all French national holidays and important dates in 2022 and 2023 below.

Public holidays in France in 2022

  • 1 January (Saturday): New Year’s Day (Jour de l’an)
  • 15 April (Friday): Good Friday – Alsace and Moselle/Lorraine
  • 18 April (Monday): Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)
  • 1 May (Sunday): Labor Day (Fête du premier mai)
  • 8 May (Sunday): World War II Victory Day (Fête du huitième mai or Jour de la Victoire 45)
  • 26 May (Thursday): Ascension Day (Jour de l’Ascension, 40 days after Easter)
  • 6 June (Monday): Whit Monday – also known as Pentecost Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
  • 14 July (Thursday): Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
  • 15 August (Monday): Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assomption)
  • 1 November (Tuesday): All Saints’ Day (La Toussaint)
  • 11 November (Friday): Armistice Day (Jour d’armistice)
  • 25 December (Sunday): Christmas Day (Noël)
  • 26 December (Monday): Boxing Day/Saint Stephen’s Day (Deuxième jour de Noël) – Alsace and Moselle/Lorraine
Bleuet de France
Bleuet de France is worn on the French holiday of Armistice Day in memory of veterans and war victims (Photo: Claude TRUONG-NGOC/Wikimedia Commons)

Important dates in France in 2022

  • 27 March (Sunday): Clocks go forward one hour as daylight saving time starts
  • 1 April (Friday): April Fool’s Day (Poisson d’Avril)
  • 29 May (Sunday): Mother’s Day (normally last Sunday in May)
  • 19 June (Sunday): Father’s Day (third Sunday in June)
  • 30 October (Sunday): Clocks go back one hour as daylight saving time ends

Public holidays in France in 2023

  • 1 January (Sunday): New Year’s Day (Jour de l’an)
  • 7 April (Friday): Good Friday – Alsace and Moselle
  • 10 April (Monday): Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)
  • 1 May (Monday): Labor Day (Fête du premier mai)
  • 8 May (Monday): World War II Victory Day (Fête du huitième mai or Jour de la Victoire 45)
  • 18 May (Thursday): Ascension Day (Jour de l’Ascension, 40 days after Easter)
  • 28 May (Sunday): Whit Sunday
  • 29 May (Monday): Whit Monday – also known as Pentecost Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
  • 14 July (Friday): Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
  • 15 August (Tuesday): Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assomption)
  • 1 November (Wednesday): All Saints’ Day (La Toussaint)
  • 11 November (Saturday): Armistice Day (Jour d’armistice)
  • 25 December (Monday): Christmas Day (Noël)
  • 26 December (Tuesday): Boxing Day/Saint Stephen’s Day (Deuxième jour de Noël) – Alsace and Moselle/Lorraine

Important dates in France in 2023

  • 26 March (Sunday): Clocks go forward one hour as daylight saving time starts
  • 1 April (Saturday): April Fool’s Day (Poisson d’Avril)
  • 28 May (Sunday): Mother’s Day (normally last Sunday in May)
  • 18 June (Sunday): Father’s Day (third Sunday in June)
  • 29 October (Sunday): Clocks go back one hour as daylight saving time ends

French school holidays

See our guide to school holidays in France.

Holidays in France: vocabulary

  • Holiday in French: jour férié (official days off of work), fête (religious holidays)
  • Holidays in French: vacances (vacation)
  • To go on vacation: passer les vacances