Complete list of public holidays in France for 2026. 11 public holidays · Dates auto-calculated · No sign-up needed.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | Thursday | New Year's Day National |
| 6 April 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday National |
| 1 May 2026 | Friday | Labour Day National |
| 8 May 2026 | Friday | Victory in Europe Day National |
| 14 May 2026 | Thursday | Ascension Day National |
| 25 May 2026 | Monday | Whit Monday National |
| 14 July 2026 | Tuesday | Bastille Day National |
| 15 August 2026 | Saturday | Assumption National |
| 1 November 2026 | Sunday | All Saints' Day National |
| 11 November 2026 | Wednesday | Armistice Day National |
| 25 December 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day National |
In France, most shops close on public holidays (jours fériés), though unlike Germany there is no strict law forcing closure — small grocers, bakeries and corner stores often stay open a few hours, while supermarkets, banks and government offices (mairies) close nationwide. France's best-known custom is 'faire le pont' ('making the bridge'): when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many workers take the adjoining Monday or Friday off to create a four-day weekend. This happens especially often around Ascension Day, which always falls on a Thursday, making the 'pont de l'Ascension' one of the most popular long weekends of the year. Bastille Day (14 July) marks the 1789 storming of the Bastille prison and is marked nationwide with a military parade on the Champs-Élysées and fireworks. Overseas departments such as Martinique and Guadeloupe add local holidays, including Abolition Day, commemorating the end of slavery.