Public holidays in France 2026
In France there are 11 public holidays in 2026. 9 of them fall on a weekday, and the year has 252 working days.
Holidays
11
On weekdays
9
Working days
252
| Date | Weekday | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January Thursday | Thursday | New Year’s Day |
| 6 April Monday | Monday | Easter Monday |
| 1 May Friday | Friday | May Day |
| 8 May Friday | Friday | Victory in Europe Day |
| 14 May Thursday | Thursday | Ascension Day |
| 25 May Monday | Monday | Whit Monday |
| 14 July Tuesday | Tuesday | Bastille Day |
| 15 August Saturday | Saturday (weekend) | Assumption Day |
| 1 November Sunday | Sunday (weekend) | All Saints’ Day |
| 11 November Wednesday | Wednesday | Armistice Day |
| 25 December Friday | Friday | Christmas Day |
Bridge days
- Friday 2 January the day after New Year’s Day
- Friday 15 May the day after Ascension Day
- Monday 13 July the day before Bastille Day
Good to know
Boxing Day and Good Friday are days off only in Alsace and Moselle and are not counted. Whit Monday is a holiday, but many employers use it as the solidarity day.
The same year in other countries
How it works
A public holiday is a day the law treats as a holiday. Eves, and days off that come only from collective agreements, are not counted.
Easter decides several of the holidays, depending on the country: Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Whitsun. By the church’s rule, Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox on 21 March, so these days move between March and June from year to year.
A bridge day is a weekday between a holiday and the weekend, such as the Friday after Ascension Day. Taking that day off gives four days off in a row.
Working days are the weekdays of the year, Monday to Friday, less the holidays that fall on a weekday.