Public Holidays & Cultural Events in France 2026

The Assumption of Mary, or Assomption, is a nationwide public holiday observed on August 15th, marking the Catholic belief in the bodily assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. It falls during the height of the French summer holiday period, when much of the country, including many businesses, is already on a collective August break. Towns with strong Catholic traditions often hold processions and local fêtes around this date.

• ✦Attending local processions and fêtes honouring the Virgin Mary held in towns with strong Catholic traditions
• ✦Taking advantage of the holiday during peak summer vacation season, when many businesses are already closed

Heritage Days, or Journées du Patrimoine, are observed over a weekend in September and give the public free or discounted access to historical monuments, museums, and government buildings, including many normally closed to visitors, such as the Élysée Palace. The event draws millions of visitors nationwide each year and has been adopted by countries across Europe under the broader European Heritage Days initiative. It is not a public holiday but is one of the most popular cultural events of the autumn calendar.

• ✦Visiting historical monuments and government buildings, including some normally closed to the public, free of charge
• ✦Touring sites such as the Élysée Palace, which opens its doors specially for the occasion

International Day of Peace is observed on September 21st and is recognised by the United Nations to promote peace and the cessation of hostilities worldwide. In France, the day is marked by educational events, public discussions, and symbolic gestures organised by schools and peace advocacy organisations. It is not a public holiday.

World Teachers' Day is observed on October 5th under the auspices of UNESCO to recognise and celebrate the contributions of teachers worldwide. French education unions and schools use the occasion to highlight the teaching profession and, in some years, to draw attention to working conditions within the sector. It is not a public holiday.

Halloween is observed on October 31st in France and grew rapidly in popularity during the 1990s and 2000s, particularly among children and in commercial settings, despite having no traditional roots in French culture. Costume parties and trick-or-treating remain more limited than in English-speaking countries, and the occasion has lost some momentum in France in recent years. It is not a public holiday.

All Saints' Day, or Toussaint, is a nationwide public holiday observed on November 1st, dedicated to honouring all saints and, in French tradition, to remembering deceased loved ones. Families visit cemeteries to clean graves and lay chrysanthemums, a flower strongly associated with the day and rarely given as a gift on other occasions in France due to this association. Shops, banks, and most businesses close nationwide.

• ✦Visiting cemeteries to clean family graves and lay chrysanthemums, the flower traditionally associated with the day
• ✦Gathering with extended family, as Toussaint often falls within a school holiday period allowing visits across the country

Armistice Day, or Armistice, is a nationwide public holiday observed on November 11th, marking the armistice that ended the First World War in 1918. Official ceremonies take place at war memorials across the country, with the President laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Local communities hold their own commemorations, often including a reading of the names of local residents who died in the war.

• ✦Attending wreath-laying ceremonies held at the Arc de Triomphe and local war memorials nationwide
• ✦Observing a moment of silence and listening to readings honouring local residents who died in the First World War

Saint Nicholas Day, or Saint-Nicolas, is observed on December 6th, particularly in the Alsace-Moselle and northern regions of France, where it retains stronger cultural significance than in much of the rest of the country. Children traditionally leave a shoe out the night before in hopes that Saint Nicholas will leave sweets, fruit, or small gifts overnight. In Alsace, Saint Nicholas is sometimes accompanied by Père Fouettard, a stern companion figure associated with discipline. It is not a public holiday.

Christmas Eve, or Réveillon de Noël, falls on December 24th and is considered the centrepiece of the French Christmas season, with families gathering for an elaborate evening meal often featuring foie gras, oysters, and a yule log cake (bûche de Noël) for dessert. Many families attend Midnight Mass before or after the meal, and children traditionally leave shoes by the fireplace for Père Noël to fill overnight. It is not a full statutory public holiday, though most businesses close by early afternoon.

Christmas Day, or Noël, is a nationwide public holiday observed on December 25th, marking the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Since the main festive meal typically takes place the evening before during Réveillon, Christmas Day itself is usually spent quietly with family, often continuing the celebration with a relaxed lunch. Shops, banks, and most businesses are closed nationwide.

• ✦Sharing a relaxed Christmas Day lunch, often continuing the feast begun the night before during Réveillon
• ✦Opening gifts left by Père Noël and spending the day with extended family

Saint Stephen's Day (Alsace-Moselle only), or Saint-Étienne, is a public holiday observed exclusively in the Alsace-Moselle region on December 26th, extending the Christmas celebrations into a second day off, unlike the rest of France where it is a normal working day. As with Good Friday, this regional exception traces back to historical administrative agreements retained from the region's period under German rule. Families in the region often use the day to visit relatives or continue festive meals from Christmas Day.

• ✦Observed as a public holiday exclusively within Alsace-Moselle, unlike the rest of France
• ✦Visiting extended family and continuing festive meals from the previous day, much as in neighbouring Germany

New Year's Eve, or Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre, falls on December 31st and is celebrated across France with festive dinners, fireworks, and parties welcoming the new year. The Champs-Élysées in Paris hosts one of the country's largest public countdown events, with a light show projected onto the Arc de Triomphe. It is not a public holiday, though many businesses close early in the afternoon ahead of the evening's festivities. ---