What is a important french holiday?
The French enjoy 11 national jours feriés (holidays) annually. The civic calendar was first instituted in 1582; Bastille Day was incorporated in 1789, Armistice Day in 1918, Labor Day in 1935, and Victory Day in 1945. During the month of May, there is a holiday nearly every week, so be prepared for stores, banks and museums to shut their doors for days at a time. It is a good idea to call museums, restaurants and hotels in advance to make sure they will be open.Trains and roads near major cities tend to get busy around the national holidays. Not coincidentally, this also happens to be the time when service unions (such as transporters, railroad workers, etc.) like to go on strike - something of a tradition, in fact. Travelers would do well to check ahead, particularly when planning a trip for the last week of June or first week of July!There are also many regional festivals throughout France which are not included in our calendar. ViaFrance hosts an excellent site which lists fairs and festivals, traditional ceremonies, as well as sporting events, concerts, and trade shows for all regions throughout France. Use the interactive search form below to choose a region and range of dates for a listing of special events, to help plan your itinerary.Under the law, every French citizen is entitled to 5 weeks of vacation. Most of the natives take their summer vacations in July or August, and many major businesses are then closed. All of France takes to the roads, railroads, boats, and airways. Consequently, traveling in France during August is generally not recommended for foreigners.Public Holidays1 JanuaryNew Year's Day (Jour de l'an)1 MayLabor Day (Fête du premier mai)8 MayWWII Victory Day (Fête de la Victoire 1945; Fête du huitième mai)14 JulyBastille Day (Fête nationale)15 AugustAssumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assomption)1 NovemberAll Saints Day (La Toussaint)11 NovemberArmistice Day (Jour d'armistice)25 DecemberChristmas Day (Noël)26 December2nd Day of Christmas (in Alsace and Lorraine only) Moveable FeastsReligion: Christian (Western)Feast201120122013201420152016Good Friday* 22 April6 April29 March18 April3 April25 MarchEaster (Pâques) 24 April8 April31 March20 April5 April27 MarchEaster Monday 25 April9 April1 April21 April6 April28 MarchAscension (l'Ascencion) 2 June17 May9 May29 May14 May5 MayPentecost (la Pentecôte) 12 June27 May19 May8 June24 May15 MayWhit Monday 13 June28 May20 May9 June25 May16 May
