New for 2026: French Summer Camp Chamonix

French Bank Holidays

The French are well known for having more bank holidays than many other countries! So how many do they actually have, what are they and how do bank holidays work in France…..?

French call bank holidays ‘fériés’ or ‘jours fériés’ and in France (unlike in the UK for example), the bank holiday is taken on the actual day it falls on, whatever day of the week that is. Some are fixed like Easter Monday, but for example if Ascension Day falls on a Tuesday then the bank holiday is on the Tuesday itself. If the bank holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, the French often make a ‘bridge’ to the weekend which is called a ‘pont’. French people ‘faire le pont’, for example taking off the Friday if the bank holiday is on a Thursday to make a long weekend.

Here is a list of the 11 French bank holidays

New Year’s Day (Jour de l’An): 1st January

Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)

Labour Day (Fête du Travail): 1st May

Victory Day (Victoire des Alliés): 8th May

Ascension (Ascension): 40 days after Easter

Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte): 10 days after Ascension and 50 days after Easter

Bastille Day (Fête Nationale): 14th July

Assumption (Assomption) : 15th August

All Saints’ Day (Toussaint): 1st November

Armistice (Armistice): 11th November

Christmas Day (Noël): 25th December

This makes a total of 11 bank holidays. But if the bank holiday falls on a Sunday, then the Sunday is considered the ‘férié’ so French people go to school and work as usual on the Monday. This means that some years, French people get several opportunities to ‘faire le pont’ and make a long weekend out of bank holiday days. However some years, several bank holidays fall on a Sunday and so this makes no difference to their working week! The regions of Alsace and Moselle/Lorraine have 2 additional public holidays because of their previous affiliation to Germany. They are now French regions but have kept these 2 German public holidays: Good Friday and Boxing Day (26th December).

January 19th, 2026
Grammar for Dummies News

How to Learn French in Morzine-Avoriaz: Tips for Total Immersion

Learning French can be a fun and rewarding adventure – especially in France, where you can immerse yourself completely in the language and culture. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your time in Morzine-Avoriaz and improve your French every day. 🌟 1. Immerse Yourself…

January 19th, 2026
Chamonix Juniors News

French Summer Camp Chamonix

After more than 10 years of running successful and popular French Summer Camps in Morzine, Alpine French School launches a French Summer Day Camp for teenagers in Chamonix. New for 2026, in July and August, Alpine French School will be welcoming teenagers to enjoy fun interactive French lessons in the…

January 16th, 2026
Culture & Tradition News

👑 Galette des Rois: A Delicious January Tradition

January in France is synonymous with a beloved tradition: the Galette des Rois! This iconic pastry celebrates Epiphany, which takes place on January 6th, but in practice, we enjoy it all month long – with family, friends, at work, or even at sports clubs… basically wherever people want to share…

August 26th, 2025
News

French Citizenship Course

Are you thinking of applying for your French Citizenship? Now that Brexit has happened, many people are looking to protect their future in France by becoming a French Citizenship through the process of ‘Naturalisation’. We are offering a course to help you prepare not only for your language test but…