Fête du Travail 1st May

The Fête du Travail always falls on 1st May and is a bank holiday in France, like in many countries around the world. This was first celebrated in France in the late 18th century. In America, the equivalent is Labor Day and this was first celebrated on Tuesday 5th Septembre 1882 by 10 000 workers.

The Fête du Travail as it is celebrated nowadays originated in the late 19th century where in France, the US and other countries around the world, the workers protested for a limit of 8 hours to the working day. Workers in France marched with a red triangle as a button-hole which was later replaced by a wild rose.

In 1907, in Paris, the lily of the valley (muguet) replaced the wild rose bringing back an ancient tradition from the Renaissance period where lilies of the valley were offered ‘le muguet de mai’. These are now worn as a buttonhole with a red ribbon. It is tradition to offer ‘un brin de muguet’, a symbol of spring in France.

On 23rd April 1919, the Senate ratified the working day of 8 hours and designated the 1st May as a bank holiday.

August 4th, 2025
Chamonix News

Major Changes to French citizenship requirements: what you need to know

There has recently been some news about the language requirements to apply for French citizenship. What is changing and when? On 15th July, 2025, the French government announced that from January 1st, 2026, the required level of French for acquiring French nationality will increase from B1 to B2. This change…

July 17th, 2025
Activities Chamonix News

Piste X Code: an important initiative created in Morzine, active in Chamonix and across the Alps

Piste X Code is an important initiative created in Morzine by Amie Henderson and Louise Paley, which is also actively promoted in Chamonix and across the Alps. The Piste X Code aims to make us all more considerate on the mountain, to help avoid accidents and to keep skiers and…

July 4th, 2025
Activities Chamonix News

Alpine French School Morzine & Chamonix support the Piste X Code

Alpine French School Morzine & Chamonix is a proud supporter of Piste X Code. Piste X Code was created in 2022 by Amie Henderson and Louise Paley after they observed several tragedies on the ski slopes. They felt that many of these accidents are unavoidable and they set out on…

February 24th, 2025
News

Why Learning French in the Alps is More Effective Than a Classroom Setting

Why Learning French in the Alps is More Effective Than a Classroom Setting When people think about learning a new language, they often picture sitting in a classroom, memorising vocabulary lists and drilling grammar rules. But what if there was a more natural, engaging, and effective way to learn French?…