Public Holidays in France in 2026
Complete list of official public holidays and observances
Managing staff leave around these holidays?
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Official Public Holidays
11 holidays in France for 2026
| Holiday | Date | Day | Applies To |
|---|---|---|---|
|
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is the first day of the year in France.
|
January 01 | Thursday | Nationwide |
|
Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday.
|
April 06 | Monday | Nationwide |
|
Labor Day / May Day
People in France give loved ones flowers and may celebrate or campaign for workers' rights on May...
|
May 01 | Friday | Nationwide |
|
WWII Victory Day
WWII Victory Day marks the anniversary of the official end of World War II and is a public holida...
|
May 08 | Friday | Nationwide |
|
Ascension Day
Ascension Day marks the day that Jesus ascended to heaven, according to Christian belief.
|
May 14 | Thursday | Nationwide |
|
Whit Monday
Pentecost Monday is the day after Pentecost Sunday. It is a public holiday in France.
|
May 25 | Monday | Nationwide |
|
Bastille Day
Bastille Day is an occasion to honor the French Republic. It is a public holiday in France.
|
July 14 | Tuesday | Nationwide |
|
Assumption of Mary
The Feast of the Assumption of Mary is an occasion for Catholics to honor the belief that God ass...
|
August 15 | Saturday | Nationwide |
|
All Saints' Day
All Saints' Day celebrates all Christian saints, particularly those who have no special feast day...
|
November 01 | Sunday | Nationwide |
|
Armistice Day
Armistice Day marks the anniversary of the end of World War I. It is a public holiday in France.
|
November 11 | Wednesday | Nationwide |
|
Christmas Day
Christmas Day is an occasion for Christians to celebrate Jesus Christ's birth. It is public holid...
|
December 25 | Friday | Nationwide |
Legal Notice: This information is for guidance only and should not be considered legal advice. Always validate with local authorities or legal practitioners in France.
Why HR Teams Choose Leavetrack
Everything you need for seamless leave management
-
Automatic Public Holiday Import
- All public holidays for France and 180+ other countries automatically loaded. No manual data entry required.
-
Save 5+ Hours Per Week
- Eliminate manual leave calculations and reduce administrative overhead by up to 80%.
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Compliance Made Easy
- Built-in compliance tracking ensures you meet local employment laws and holiday entitlements.
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Team Visibility
- Everyone sees who's off when, preventing scheduling conflicts and ensuring adequate coverage.
Trusted by HR teams worldwide
"With a team of over 50 employees, keeping track of absences and holidays using a paper based system used to be time consuming and prone to errors. Since introducing Leavetrack, the whole process has become a lot simpler and easier."
How It Works
Simple, powerful leave management in four steps
Employees Request Leave
Simple, intuitive interface lets employees request time off in seconds. Public holidays are automatically excluded from calculations.
- Book leave in under 30 seconds
- See available leave balance instantly
- Mobile-friendly for on-the-go requests
Managers Approve Instantly
Managers see all request details including conflicts with public holidays and other team members' leave.
- Approve/reject directly from email
- See team coverage at a glance
- Complete audit trail of decisions
Plan Team Coverage
Beautiful visual calendar shows exactly who's off when, including public holidays, so you can plan optimal team coverage.
- Color-coded wall chart
- Filter by department or team
- Spot conflicts before they happen
Generate Reports
Comprehensive reporting gives you insights into leave patterns, costs, and compliance - all exportable to Excel.
- Full audit trail of all leave
- Export to CSV for further analysis
- Track entitlements and accruals
Ready to streamline your leave management?
Join hundreds of HR teams who've eliminated spreadsheet chaos and saved hours every week with Leavetrack.
About Public Holidays in France
In France, public holidays, known as "jours fériés," are an integral part of the country's cultural and social fabric. There are 11 official public holidays observed nationwide, including New Year's Day (Jour de l'An), Labor Day (Fête du Travail), and Bastille Day (Fête Nationale), which is celebrated on July 14th. These holidays often provide opportunities for employees to take leave from work, promoting a healthy work-life balance. Understanding public holidays is essential for effective absence management and staff leave planning in any organization operating in France. For more information on public holidays in France, you can visit the official government website at Service-Public.fr.