Public Holidays in France 2025

Find the details for all the public holidays in France 2025. On national holidays in France, most shops and public buildings and even tourist attractions can be shut. If you know where you want to visit, check in advance to make sure it’s open on a French public holiday.

There are special celebration days in France too, though not national holidays: Celebration days in France

Public Holidays in France 2025

1 January, Wednesday — New Year’s Day (Jour de l’An). Pretty much everything is closed on this day.
18 April, Friday — Good Friday (Vendredi Saint) – only in Alsace and Moselle, for the rest of France this is a normal working day.
21 April, Monday — Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques) – this a major holiday with almost everything closed for the day.
1 May, Thursday — Labour Day (Fête du Travail or Fête du Premier Mai) – another big holiday though you’ll find some shops open for half a day (generally food shops).
8 May, Thursday — Victory in Europe Day (Victoire 1945) Many shops open on this day, some for part of the time.
29 May, Thursday — Ascension Day (Ascension) A national holiday but not a major holiday.
9 June, Monday — Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
14 July, Monday — Bastille Day (Fête nationale, le 14 Juillet) – an excuse for a party right across France! Find out more about this important day in France, what it’s all about and how to celebrate in our Bastille Day Podcast.
15 August, Friday — Assumption of Mary (Assomption) Not a major holiday, with many shops open but an important day off for the French – it’s summer!
1 November, Saturday — All Saints’ Day (Toussaint) Plenty of shops open, some part time. This is a day of remembrance for loved ones lost and it’s traditional to place chrysanthemum plants at graves.
11 November, Tuesday — Armistice Day (Armistice 1918) A very important day of remembrance right across France. At 11.00 everything stops for a moment’s silent contemplation.
25 December, Thursday — Christmas Day (Noël). The night before is often the big deal with it comes to the Christmas meal with a long lingering dinner.
26 December, Friday — Saint Stephen’s Day (Saint Étienne). Only in Alsace and Moselle, the rest of France goes back to work.

When a national holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday in France, it is usually celebrated on that day not held over to a week day as in some countries – and there is no extra day off.

For the French 2025 is a great day for national holidays, only one falls on a weekend, the rest are generally perfect for “pont” weekends. Pont means bridge so where a national holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, it’s common in France for people to take the Friday or Monday off to create a 4-day weekend!