France observes eleven jours fériés, and the France public holidays in 2026 include a particularly generous May — four holidays in a single month. Add the beloved tradition of faire le pont (making the bridge), and 2026 offers some of the year’s finest long weekends. Here is the complete list with dates, plus how to play the bridges.
All public holidays in France, 2026
- Thursday, 1 January — New Year’s Day (Jour de l’an)
- Monday, 6 April — Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)
- Friday, 1 May — Labour Day (Fête du Travail)
- Friday, 8 May — Victory Day (Victoire 1945)
- Thursday, 14 May — Ascension Day (Ascension)
- Monday, 25 May — Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
- Tuesday, 14 July — Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
- Saturday, 15 August — Assumption Day (Assomption)
- Sunday, 1 November — All Saints’ Day (Toussaint)
- Wednesday, 11 November — Armistice Day (Armistice 1918)
- Friday, 25 December — Christmas Day (Noël)
May 2026: the month of bridges
May is the standout: Labour Day (Friday 1 May) and Victory Day (Friday 8 May) each create three-day weekends on their own; Ascension Day lands on Thursday 14 May — the classic pont, where taking Friday 15 May gives four days off for one leave day; and Whit Monday (25 May) closes the month. With just two or three leave days (Fridays 15 May, plus days around the 1st and 8th), much of May can become one long break. The French have refined this to an art form — many workplaces run on skeleton staff through the Ascension bridge as a matter of custom.
Alsace-Moselle: two extra days
The departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle observe two additional holidays under local law, a legacy of the region’s history: Good Friday (3 April) and St Stephen’s Day (26 December). If you live or work in Strasbourg, Colmar or Metz, your 2026 count is thirteen, not eleven — a small but real perk of the east.
What closes — and the 1 May exception
On jours fériés, banks, post offices, government services and most shops close, with Sunday-style transport. One day is special: 1 May (Labour Day) is the only holiday on which employees are legally guaranteed the day off with pay (with narrow exceptions for essential services). For the others, time off depends on your convention collective or company agreement — though in practice the vast majority of employees get them. Note that 1 May is also the day of the traditional muguet (lily of the valley) sellers on every street corner.
Beyond May: the rest of the year
Bastille Day (Tuesday 14 July) brings the military parade down the Champs-Élysées, the presidential garden party and fireworks nationwide — take Monday 13 July for a four-day break, and book Paris accommodation early. Assumption Day (Saturday 15 August) lands mid-holiday-season when much of France is already on vacation. Armistice Day (Wednesday 11 November) invites a Thursday–Friday bridge for a five-day autumn escape. And Christmas Day on Friday 25 December closes the year with a tidy three-day weekend — the perfect, effortless finale.
Planning tips
A good habit is to review the holiday list at the start of each quarter, mark the dates that affect your work or family plans, and note any bridge days where taking one extra day creates a long weekend. Remember that rules for pay, closures and observances differ by country, region and employer.
Use this guide as a starting point, compare it with the official source for your location and check again closer to the date, since announcements and local arrangements can change. Sharing the dates early with family, colleagues and customers also avoids last-minute surprises.