French Public Holidays 2026: Full List of Dates
Updated: May 2026
In 2026, France observes its 11 national public holidays (jours fériés). This page lists every date with its weekday, shows which fall on a weekend, and points out the best bridge days for stretching them into long weekends.
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Open the 2026 holiday calendar →The 11 public holidays in 2026
| Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day — Jour de l'An | 1 January 2026 | Thursday |
| Easter Monday — Lundi de Pâques | 6 April 2026 | Monday |
| Labour Day — Fête du Travail | 1 May 2026 | Friday |
| Victory in Europe Day — Victoire 1945 | 8 May 2026 | Friday |
| Ascension Day — Ascension | 14 May 2026 | Thursday |
| Whit Monday — Lundi de Pentecôte | 25 May 2026 | Monday |
| Bastille Day — Fête Nationale | 14 July 2026 | Tuesday |
| Assumption Day — Assomption | 15 August 2026 | Saturday |
| All Saints' Day — Toussaint | 1 November 2026 | Sunday |
| Armistice Day — Armistice 1918 | 11 November 2026 | Wednesday |
| Christmas Day — Noël | 25 December 2026 | Friday |
Eight of these dates are fixed by the calendar. The three Easter-based holidays — Easter Monday, Ascension and Whit Monday — move every year because they are calculated from Easter Sunday, which falls on 5 April 2026.
Which 2026 holidays fall on a weekend?
France does not move a jour férié to a weekday when it lands on a Saturday or Sunday, so two days are effectively "lost" in 2026:
- Assumption Day falls on Saturday 15 August 2026.
- All Saints' Day falls on Sunday 1 November 2026.
That leaves 9 holidays that land on a working weekday — a slightly below-average year for usable days off, but the spring cluster makes up for it.
Best bridge days (ponts) in 2026
A bridge day is when you take a single day off between a public holiday and the weekend to create a four-day break. The strongest opportunities in 2026 are:
- Ascension (Thursday 14 May): book Friday 15 May off for a four-day weekend.
- Bastille Day (Tuesday 14 July): book Monday 13 July off for a four-day weekend.
- The whole of May is dense: with Labour Day and Victory Day both on Fridays, plus Ascension and Whit Monday, a few well-placed days off cover most of the month.
Regional variations in 2026
The departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle (Alsace-Moselle) add two holidays: Good Friday on 3 April 2026 and St Stephen's Day on 26 December 2026. France's overseas territories each add a local Abolition of Slavery day. Switch regions in the calendar tool to see those dates.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does France have in 2026?
Eleven national jours fériés, the same number every year. Two of them fall on a weekend in 2026, so employees in metropolitan France typically get 9 weekday days off from the national list.
When is Easter in 2026?
Easter Sunday is 5 April 2026, which makes Easter Monday 6 April, Ascension 14 May and Whit Monday 25 May.
Is there a long bridge in May 2026?
Yes. Labour Day (1 May) and Victory Day (8 May) are both Fridays, and Ascension is Thursday 14 May, giving several three- and four-day weekends within a few weeks.