France Public Holidays
France has 11 national public holidays in 2026, observed across the whole country. Over the years covered here the calendar draws on 11 recurring holidays. 8 sit on the same calendar date every year, while 3 move (Linked to Easter). On top of that, 8 further public holidays are observed in some departments and overseas regions only.
Which public holidays does France have?
Every recurring national public holiday, how its date is decided, and the date it lands on in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Dates are computed from the rule, so Easter-linked and moon-linked holidays are correct for each individual year.
| Holiday | How the date is set | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's DayNouvel An | Same date every year | Jan 1 | Jan 1 | Jan 1 |
| Easter MondayLundi de Pâques | Linked to Easter | Apr 21 | Apr 6 | Mar 29 |
| Labour DayFête du travail | Same date every year | May 1 | May 1 | May 1 |
| Ascension DayAscension | Linked to Easter | May 29 | May 14 | May 6 |
| Victory DayFête de la Victoire 1945 | Same date every year | May 8 | May 8 | May 8 |
| Whit MondayLundi de Pentecôte | Linked to Easter | Jun 9 | May 25 | May 17 |
| Bastille DayFête Nationale de la France | Same date every year | Jul 14 | Jul 14 | Jul 14 |
| AssumptionAssomption | Same date every year | Aug 15 | Aug 15 | Aug 15 |
| All Saints' DayToussaint | Same date every year | Nov 1 | Nov 1 | Nov 1 |
| Armistice DayArmistice 1918 | Same date every year | Nov 11 | Nov 11 | Nov 11 |
| Christmas DayNoël | Same date every year | Dec 25 | Dec 25 | Dec 25 |
Which French holidays are national and which are regional?
The table above is the national calendar. Separately, this dataset tracks 10 departments and overseas regions of France, and 8 further public holidays are observed in some of them but not nationwide in 2026. If you are planning around a specific place, add the relevant rows below to the national list.
| Regional holiday | Date in 2026 | Observed in |
|---|---|---|
| Good Friday | April 3, 2026 | Département Bas-Rhin, Département et région d'outre-mer Guadeloupe and Département et région d'outre-mer Martinique, plus 2 more5 of 10 departments and overseas regions |
| Boxing Day | December 26, 2026 | Département Bas-Rhin, Département Haut-Rhin and Département Moselle |
| Abolition of Slavery | May 27, 2026 | Département et région d'outre-mer Guadeloupe and Département et région d'outre-mer Saint Martin |
| Abolition of Slavery | April 27, 2026 | Département et région d'outre-mer Mayotte |
| Abolition of Slavery | May 22, 2026 | Département et région d'outre-mer Martinique |
| Abolition of Slavery | June 10, 2026 | Département et région d'outre-mer Guyane |
| Abolition of Slavery | October 9, 2026 | Département et région d'outre-mer Saint Barthélemy |
| Abolition of Slavery | December 20, 2026 | Département et région d'outre-mer La Réunion |
Regional coverage is only as complete as the underlying open dataset, so treat this as a strong indication rather than a legal source. Confirm with the relevant local or regional authority in France before you rely on a single date.
Which holidays move each year, and why?
3 of the 11 recurring holidays land on a different date each year. Here is the rule behind each group.
Same date every year (8)
The holiday is tied to one calendar date, so it lands on a different weekday each year but never changes date. In France this covers New Year's Day, Labour Day, Victory Day, Bastille Day and Assumption, plus 3 more.
Linked to Easter (3)
The date is counted from Easter Sunday, which is the Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon falling on or after 21 March, so it swings between late March and late April. In France this covers Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Whit Monday.
When is the next public holiday in France?
The next 3 holidays on the 2026 calendar.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| All Saints' Day | November 1, 2026 | SundayWeekend |
| Armistice Day | November 11, 2026 | Wednesday |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2026 | Friday |
France public holiday calendars by year
Open a year for the full table with dates, weekdays and long-weekend counts.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does France have?
France has 11 national public holidays in 2026 and 11 in 2027. The total can differ from year to year because holidays that fall on a weekend sometimes gain a substitute day, and because moon-based and Easter-based dates occasionally shift in or out of a calendar year.
Which French public holidays fall on the same date every year?
8 of them: New Year's Day (January 1), Labour Day (May 1), Victory Day (May 8), Bastille Day (July 14), Assumption (August 15) and All Saints' Day (November 1), plus 2 more. These are pinned to a calendar date, so only the weekday changes from year to year.
Which public holidays in France change date each year?
3 do: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Whit Monday. The reasons are linked to easter, so the Gregorian date has to be recalculated for every year rather than copied forward.
Are there regional public holidays in France?
Yes. Besides the national list, 8 public holidays are observed in some departments and overseas regions only, for example Good Friday in Département Bas-Rhin, Boxing Day in Département Bas-Rhin and Abolition of Slavery in Département et région d'outre-mer Guadeloupe. The year calendars on this site show national holidays only, so add the relevant regional dates on top.
What happens when a public holiday in France falls on a weekend?
This dataset records no substitute days for France, so every date listed here is the holiday itself rather than a replacement weekday. That is not the same as saying none is granted: a number of countries move a weekend holiday onto a working day under national labour law without that rule being captured in the underlying data, so check a local source whenever a holiday lands on a Saturday or Sunday.
How to use this page
Public holidays shape the working year in France, closing many offices, banks and public services and shifting the rhythm of travel and shopping. If you are scheduling a delivery, a launch or a meeting with a French team, the table at the top is the quickest check: it shows every recurring holiday side by side across 2025, 2026 and 2027, so you can see at a glance which dates are stable and which need looking up again next year. Where a holiday falls on a weekend and is taken on another day, it appears once, on the day off, with its calendar date beside it, so the totals here match the official ones rather than double counting.
For a single year with weekday counts and long weekends, open the year page for 2025, 2026 or 2027. To compare countries in one year, the 2026 worldwide overview lists every country we cover side by side. Dates come from the open date-holidays dataset and are recalculated per year from each holiday's rule. Always confirm official dates with a local authority before you commit to travel or contracts.