France
France observes 11 statutory jours feries under Article L3133-1 of the Code du travail. Two regions diverge: Alsace-Moselle retains two additional Catholic holidays from the 1801 Concordat still in force locally, and overseas territories add local observances (e.g. Abolition of Slavery days).
Statutory jours feries (Article L3133-1)
- Jour de l'An - January 1
- Lundi de Paques (Easter Monday) - movable
- Fete du Travail (Labour Day) - May 1
- Victoire 1945 - May 8
- Ascension - movable (39 days after Easter)
- Pentecote - movable (49 days after Easter)
- Fete Nationale - July 14
- Assomption - August 15
- Toussaint - November 1
- Armistice 1918 - November 11
- Noel - December 25
How the French jour ferie calendar works
The 11 jours feries were codified across the 19th and 20th centuries, with the most recent additions being Fete du Travail (May 1, made a paid holiday in 1947 after the 1936 Matignon accords) and Victoire 1945 (May 8, made statutory in 1959). Fete Nationale (July 14) commemorates both the 1789 Fete de la Federation and the 1790 unity festival; it is the most heavily observed non-religious holiday, with military parades on the Champs-Elysees. Jour de l An, Noel, Toussaint, and Assomption are rooted in Catholic liturgical calendar; the Republic is officially secular (loi 1905), but Catholic feast days remain public holidays.
Unlike most European countries, France has no regional pattern of additional civic days. The single exception is Alsace-Moselle, where the 1801 Concordat with Rome was never rescinded and which still observes Good Friday and Saint-Étienne (December 26) as paid holidays for all workers. Several DROM-COM territories observe additional jours feries tied to local history (e.g. Abolition of Slavery on May 27 in Guadeloupe, August 22 in Martinique, October 9 in Saint-Martin).
Religious and secular composition
France is approximately 51% Catholic, 35% religiously unaffiliated, 5% Muslim, 3% Protestant, 1% Jewish, 1% Buddhist, and 4% other or unspecified (Pew, INSEE, 2020s estimates). The jour ferie calendar heavily reflects Catholic tradition (5 of 11 days are Catholic liturgical dates). Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist holidays are not statutory jours feries but are widely observed at the local or school level; Alsace-Moselle retains additional Christian holidays because of its pre-1905 Concordat regime.
Peak months and observance patterns
May is the densest month: Fete du Travail (May 1), Victoire 1945 (May 8), Ascension (movable, typically May), and Pentecote (movable, typically late May) cluster together, often producing 3-day or 4-day weekends. November is sparse - Toussaint (November 1) and Armistice 1918 (November 11) are the only two jours feries. The summer is dominated by Fete Nationale (July 14), Assomption (August 15, the start of the French summer holiday), and the August mass-exodus (grandes vacances).
Region-by-region variation
Alsace-Moselle (departements Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Moselle) retains two additional jours feries (Good Friday and Saint-Étienne) for a total of 13. Saint-Barthelemy, Saint-Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, La Reunion, Mayotte, and French Polynesia all observe additional local holidays tied to colonial history and abolition of slavery. Metropolitan France otherwise follows the national 11-day calendar uniformly. Some companies grant additional jours feries (Saint-Étienne, Vendredi Saint) by collective agreement even in regions where they are not statutory.
Recent shifts and contested history
The most significant recent change was the 2004 Raffarin reform making Pentecote technically a jour ferie but not a paid day off for most private-sector employees. Fete du Travail was a contested day in 1947-1953, when Communist-led attempts to make May 2 a paid holiday were resisted. Alsace-Moselle has been the subject of periodic legal challenges from secular groups seeking to remove the Concordat holidays; the Conseil d'État has consistently upheld the local regime. Several DROM-COM abolition days (notably May 27 in Guadeloupe) have been added since the 2000s to commemorate the 1848 abolition decree.
Where the holidays come from culturally
French jours feries reflect three historical layers. Layer 1 (1790s): revolutionary civic holidays - Fete Nationale (July 14) and the brief 1790s Federation festivals. Layer 2 (1801-1880s): Catholic liturgical calendar days retained or restored after the 1801 Concordat and re-established under the Third Republic. Layer 3 (1919-1959): 20th-century civic and remembrance days - Armistice 1918 (1919), Fete du Travail (1947), and Victoire 1945 (1959). The pattern is gradual civic layering onto a Catholic base, with Alsace-Moselle as the lone persistent Catholic enclave.
Work and pay rules
Jour ferie does not legally require the day off; many French employers keep stores and factories open. Workers who do work on a jour ferie are entitled to either time off in lieu or premium pay under collective agreement - typically double time on May 1, Fete Nationale, and Noel, and standard rate plus time in lieu on other jours feries. May 1 is unique: working on May 1 is illegal in most sectors except where continuity of service is essential (hospitals, transport). Alsace-Moselle's Good Friday and Saint-Étienne follow the standard jour ferie regime with premium pay.
Comparison with neighboring countries
Compared with Germany's 9-13 holidays (depending on Bundesland), France has 11 statutory days but with no regional opt-in for additional civic days beyond Alsace-Moselle. Compared with Spain's 10 national + 2 per autonomous community, France has fewer total days but stronger universal observance. Compared with Italy's 10 civil + several patron saints, France is more secular and more centralized. Belgium (the Wall-ad Belgium) follows a Catholic calendar closer to Alsace-Moselle, with 10 statutory days plus regional differences between Wallonia and Flanders.
Calendar cycles 2026-2028
French jours feries move with Easter. Ascension is Easter + 39 days; Pentecote is Easter + 49 days. For 2026, Easter is April 5, so Lundi de Paques is April 6, Ascension is May 14, and Pentecote is May 24. For 2027, Easter is March 28, so Lundi de Paques is March 29, Ascension is May 6, and Pentecote is May 16. For 2028, Easter is April 16, so Lundi de Paques is April 17, Ascension is May 25, and Pentecote is June 4. Fixed-date jours feries remain static; movable days shift by up to a month across years.
Major holiday briefs on this page
Each of the holidays discussed on this regional overview has a full standalone brief covering its origins, observance practices, and modern controversy:
- New Year’s Day
- Good Friday
- Easter
- Easter Monday
- Labour Day
- Victory Day
- Ascension Day
- Whit Monday
- Bastille Day
- Assumption Day
- All Saints’ Day
- Armistice Day
- Christmas