Public Holidays in France 2020
Friday 10 January 2020
The 11 public holidays in France for 2020 to put in your diary, as well as school dates.
The public holidays for 2021 can be found at French Public Holidays 2021.
- Wednesday 1st January - New Year's Day (Jour de l'An)
- Monday 13th April - Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)
- Friday 1st May - Labour Day (Fête du Travail)
- Friday 8th May - VE Day - (Fête de la Victoire 1945)
- Thursday 21st May - Ascension Day (l'Ascension)
- Monday 1st June - Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
- Tuesday 14th July - Bastille Day (Fête Nationale)
- Saturday 15th August - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (l'Assomption)
- Sunday 1st November - All Saints' Day (La Toussaint)
- Wednesday 11th November - Armistice Day (Armistice 1918)
- Friday 25th December - Christmas Day (Noël)
Where a public holiday falls over a weekend, by local agreement employees may be given an extra day paid holiday in lieu, but this is not obligatory.
Only May Day is classed as a statutory (paid) public holiday in France.
When a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday many people make a 'bridge' holiday (faire le pont), creating a long weekend.
Alsace and Lorraine have two extra public holidays - 10th April and 26th Dec.
In terms of school holidays, you can find the dates at French School Calendar 2019/20.
The public holidays in 2019 were:
- Tuesday 1st January - New Year's Day (Jour de l'An)
- Monday 22nd April - Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)
- Wednesday 1st May - Labour Day (Fête du Travail)
- Wednesday 8th May - VE Day - (Fête de la Victoire 1945)
- Thursday 30th May - Ascension Day (l'Ascension)
- Monday 10th June - Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
- Sunday 14th July - Bastille Day (Fête Nationale)
- Thursday 15th August - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (l'Assomption)
- Friday 1st November - All Saints' Day (La Toussaint)
- Monday 11th November - Armistice Day (Armistice 1918)
- Wednesday 25th December - Christmas Day (Noël)
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