France Public Holidays (2025–2028)

France's 11 public holidays are "jours fériés chômés" under Article L3133-1 of the Labour Code (Code du travail). On these dates, non-essential economic activity must cease: employees have the right not to work and, in most sectors, to be paid for the day. May 1 (Labour Day) is unique — Article L3133-4 makes paid leave mandatory on that date for every employee, not just those whose contracts already include public holidays.

Good Friday is not a nationwide holiday — only Alsace-Moselle (under the Concordat) adds Good Friday and Saint Stephen's Day (Dec 26). Service-Public.fr publishes the official list; always confirm with your employer or convention collective, as some sectors (hospitality, retail in tourist zones) may work on certain holidays with compensatory pay.

Labour Day (Fri May 1) and Victory Day (Fri May 8) each give a three-day break, with only four working days (Mon–Thu) between them. Ascension (Thu May 14) and Whit Monday (Mon May 25) follow later in the month.

Friday May 15 after Ascension is the classic "pont" (bridge day) — one day of annual leave turns Ascension into a four-day break. TGV and domestic flights fill up fast around May 1, May 8 and the Ascension pont; book early if you are travelling.

Unlike the UK or Japan, France has no substitute-day rule. When a public holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday, there is no weekday off in lieu — the holiday is simply lost for employees on a standard Monday-to-Friday week. Assumption (Sat Aug 15) and All Saints (Sun Nov 1) are lost this way in 2026.

August is France's traditional vacation month — even when Assumption falls on a Saturday, many businesses in Paris and provincial towns close for two to four weeks around mid-August. Christmas Eve (Dec 24) is not a public holiday, but shops often close early and offices wind down from Christmas Day (Fri Dec 25) through the weekend.