Public holidays in France in 2026 include 11 legal holidays under the general national regime, together with additional holidays that apply in Alsace-Moselle and certain overseas territories. France’s Labour Code establishes the national list, while official Service-Public calendars provide the exact dates for movable holidays such as Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Whit Monday.
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Next Public Holiday in France
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 | Sunday | All Saints’ Day | Confirmed |
Public Holidays in France 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | Confirmed |
| April 6, 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday | Confirmed |
| May 1, 2026 | Friday | International Workers’ Day | Confirmed |
| May 8, 2026 | Friday | Victory in Europe Day 1945 | Confirmed |
| May 14, 2026 | Thursday | Ascension Day | Confirmed |
| May 25, 2026 | Monday | Whit Monday | Confirmed |
| July 14, 2026 | Tuesday | Bastille Day / National Day | Confirmed |
| August 15, 2026 | Saturday | Assumption Day | Confirmed |
| November 1, 2026 | Sunday | All Saints’ Day | Confirmed |
| November 11, 2026 | Wednesday | Armistice Day 1918 | Confirmed |
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | Confirmed |
How Public Holidays Work in France
Article L3133-1 of the French Labour Code establishes 11 legal public holidays under the general national regime. These are New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, 1 May, 8 May, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, 14 July, Assumption Day, All Saints’ Day, 11 November and Christmas Day.
The official Service-Public 2026 holiday calendar confirms the exact dates and weekdays for all 11 holidays.
France also has territorial exceptions. Additional statutory holidays apply in Alsace-Moselle and in certain overseas departments and territories, so these dates should not be treated as nationwide public holidays.
Regional Public Holidays in Alsace-Moselle
Alsace-Moselle has a distinct local-law holiday regime that provides additional statutory holidays beyond the 11 holidays applicable under France’s general national calendar.
Good Friday
Good Friday falls on Friday, 3 April 2026. In Alsace-Moselle, it is a legal holiday only in municipalities where there is a Protestant church or a mixed church.
Second Day of Christmas
The Second Day of Christmas falls on Saturday, 26 December 2026 and is an additional statutory holiday under the Alsace-Moselle regime.
The official Service-Public guidance on public holidays separately identifies these Alsace-Moselle holidays, confirming that they are territorial rather than nationwide.
Public Holidays in France’s Overseas Territories
France’s overseas departments and certain overseas collectivities observe an additional public holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery. The date varies according to the territory.
- Mayotte: 27 April
- Martinique: 22 May
- Guadeloupe: 27 May
- Saint-Martin: 27 May
- French Guiana: 10 June
- Saint-Barthélemy: 9 October
- Réunion: 20 December
These abolition-of-slavery commemorations are additional territorial holidays. They should not be added to a nationwide France holiday database because they apply only in the specified jurisdictions.
Easter Monday, Ascension and Whit Monday in 2026
Three nationwide French public holidays are linked to the Christian Easter calendar and therefore change date from year to year.
- Easter Monday: Monday, 6 April 2026.
- Ascension Day: Thursday, 14 May 2026.
- Whit Monday: Monday, 25 May 2026.
Service-Public officially confirms these dates in its 2026 public-holiday calendar.
Is 1 May a Mandatory Day Off in France?
Yes, in the general case. International Workers’ Day on 1 May has special protection under French employment law and is normally the only legal public holiday that must be non-working for employees across all businesses and categories.
Exceptions apply where the nature of an establishment or service makes it impossible to interrupt operations, such as certain hospitals and public transport services.
An employee who legally works on 1 May receives their normal salary plus an indemnity equal to that salary, effectively providing double remuneration for the day.
Are All Other Public Holidays Automatically Days Off?
No. Apart from the special rules governing 1 May, the other legal public holidays are not automatically non-working for every private-sector employee.
Whether another public holiday is worked or non-working can be determined by a collective agreement, branch agreement, company or establishment agreement, or by the employer where no applicable agreement determines the arrangement.
For employees who qualify under the Labour Code, a non-working public holiday cannot generally cause a loss of salary once the employee has at least three months of seniority in the company or establishment. Separate statutory rules apply to certain categories of workers.
Can Public Holiday Hours Be Recovered?
Article L3133-2 of the Labour Code states that working hours lost because a statutory public holiday is non-working cannot be recovered simply because of the holiday.
This rule should be distinguished from a pont, or bridge day. An employer may grant an additional day off between a holiday and a weekly rest period, and hours lost because of that additional bridge day may, subject to the applicable rules, be recovered later.
What Is a “Pont” in France?
A pont is an additional day off granted between a statutory holiday and one or two regular weekly rest days. It is not itself a statutory public holiday.
For example, Ascension Day falls on Thursday, 14 May 2026. An employer may grant Friday, 15 May as a bridge day to create a four-day break, but Friday does not thereby become a national public holiday.
The distinction matters when maintaining a public-holiday database: bridge days should not be inserted as statutory holidays unless a separate legal rule expressly gives them that status.
Whit Monday and the Solidarity Day
Whit Monday remains one of the 11 legal public holidays listed in Article L3133-1 of the Labour Code.
However, France also has a solidarity-day system under which employees may perform an additional period of work according to arrangements established by collective agreement or, where applicable, by the employer. Whit Monday may be used for this purpose in some workplaces, but it is not automatically a working day everywhere.
The statutory classification of Whit Monday as a legal public holiday therefore remains unchanged.
What Happens When a French Public Holiday Falls on a Weekend?
France does not have a general national rule automatically moving every statutory public holiday to the following Monday when it falls on Saturday or Sunday.
In 2026, Assumption Day falls on Saturday, 15 August and All Saints’ Day falls on Sunday, 1 November. They remain public holidays on those calendar dates under the national holiday schedule.
An employee does not automatically receive another weekday off solely because a public holiday coincides with a normal weekly rest day, although collective agreements or company arrangements may provide more favourable rules.
National Day in France
France’s National Day is observed on 14 July and is commonly known in English as Bastille Day. It is one of the legal public holidays listed in Article L3133-1 of the Labour Code.
In 2026, the National Day falls on Tuesday, 14 July.
Victory Day and Armistice Day
Victory in Europe Day
8 May commemorates the Allied victory in Europe at the end of the Second World War. In 2026, the holiday falls on Friday, 8 May.
Armistice Day
11 November commemorates the 1918 Armistice that ended fighting on the Western Front during the First World War. In 2026, Armistice Day falls on Wednesday, 11 November.
Both dates are included among France’s 11 legal public holidays.
Long Weekends in France in 2026
The 2026 calendar creates several useful long-weekend opportunities without assuming unofficial substitute holidays.
- Easter: Easter Monday on 6 April creates a three-day weekend for employees who normally have Saturday and Sunday off.
- Workers’ Day: Friday, 1 May creates a three-day weekend.
- Victory Day: Friday, 8 May creates another three-day weekend.
- Ascension Day: Thursday, 14 May can be combined with an employer-approved bridge day or annual leave on Friday, although Friday is not itself a statutory holiday.
- Whit Monday: Monday, 25 May creates a three-day weekend where it is observed as a non-working holiday.
- Christmas: Friday, 25 December creates a three-day weekend for employees whose normal weekend is Saturday and Sunday.
Any annual leave or employer-granted bridge day used to extend these breaks should be distinguished from an official statutory public holiday.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the next public holiday in France?
The next public holiday changes throughout the year. The live VisaBoards section near the top of this page displays the next upcoming holiday from the France public-holiday database.
How many nationwide public holidays does France have?
Article L3133-1 of the French Labour Code lists 11 legal public holidays under the general national regime. Additional holidays exist in Alsace-Moselle and certain overseas territories.
What is France’s country code?
France’s ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code is FR.
When is Easter Monday in France in 2026?
Easter Monday falls on Monday, 6 April 2026 and is one of France’s 11 legal public holidays.
When is Ascension Day in France in 2026?
Ascension Day falls on Thursday, 14 May 2026.
When is Whit Monday in France in 2026?
Whit Monday falls on Monday, 25 May 2026. It remains a legal public holiday even though workplaces may use different arrangements for the solidarity day.
Is 1 May a mandatory non-working holiday in France?
Generally, yes. The 1 May holiday has special statutory protection and must normally be non-working, except in establishments and services where the nature of the activity prevents operations from stopping.
Do employees receive double pay for working on 1 May?
Yes. Employees who legally work on 1 May receive their normal remuneration plus an indemnity equal to that remuneration.
Does France move a weekend holiday to Monday?
No general nationwide rule automatically transfers a statutory holiday to Monday when it falls on Saturday or Sunday. More favourable collective or employer arrangements may apply in particular workplaces.
Is Good Friday a nationwide public holiday in France?
No. Good Friday is an additional legal holiday in parts of Alsace-Moselle, specifically municipalities with a Protestant church or mixed church. It is not a nationwide French public holiday.
Is 26 December a public holiday in France?
26 December is not a nationwide public holiday. It is an additional statutory holiday under the Alsace-Moselle local-law regime.
Do France’s overseas territories have extra public holidays?
Yes. The abolition-of-slavery commemoration is an additional public holiday in specified overseas departments and territories, with a different statutory date depending on the jurisdiction.
Official Sources for Public Holidays in France
- Légifrance – French Labour Code, Articles L3133-1 to L3133-12: establishes France’s legal public holidays and the general employment rules governing them.
- Service-Public – Public Holidays in 2026: confirms the official 2026 dates and weekdays for France’s 11 general legal holidays.
- Service-Public – Public Holidays and Bridge Days in the Private Sector: explains employee rules, 1 May, holiday pay, bridge days, Alsace-Moselle holidays and overseas territorial holidays.
- Service-Public – Public Holidays in the Civil Service: confirms 2026 dates for the general regime, Alsace-Moselle and overseas abolition-of-slavery holidays.
- Service-Public – Working on 1 May: explains the mandatory non-working rule, permitted exceptions and double remuneration for employees who legally work on 1 May.
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