Le 1er mai (1st May) Le 1er mai is an annual public holiday in France and many other countries around the world. The day also became a public holiday, formally known as La Fête du Travail (Labour Day), back in 1948.
1 – Labour Day / International Workers Day: What To Expect and How To Celebrate It in France. Called “La Fête du travail “in French. The first holiday celebrated on May first in France is labour day, also known as International workers day.
Paris does not go totally dead on May 1st. The shops will be open in the tourist zones where they are already open on Sundays, the boats will be running on the Seine, the Eiffel Tower and some of the private museums are open, the churches are open, the parks are open, the cinemas are open.
International Workers' Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every year on May Day (1 May).
Mothers' Day in France is usually on the last Sunday in May, but is moved to the first Sunday of June if it falls on the same day as Whit Sunday/Pentecost. Fathers' Day is also celebrated in France.
However the
European Commission does set public
holidays for the employees of the institutions of the
European Union.
Public holidays in the European Union.
| Date | Day |
|---|
| 13 April (Monday after Easter) | Easter Monday |
| 1 May | Labour Day |
| 9 May | Europe Day (not published in 2020 since it falls on Saturday) |
| 21 May | Ascension Thursday |
May Day, in medieval and modern Europe, holiday (May 1) for the celebration of the return of spring. The observance probably originated in ancient agricultural rituals, and the Greeks and Romans held such festivals.
May 1 is the most reliably 'closed' day in France; no museum that normally closes that day will be open and most museums will close that day even if usually open. The Eiffel Tower and Jacquemart Andre are both open. The seine cruises run. The parks will be open.
Top 10 French foods – with recipes
- Soupe à l'oignon. This is a traditional French soup made of onions and beef stock, usually served with croutons and melted cheese on top.
- Coq au vin.
- Cassoulet.
- Boeuf bourguignon.
- Chocolate soufflé
- Flamiche.
- Confit de canard.
- Salade Niçoise.
- Monday 1st January - New Year's Day (Jour de l'An)
- Monday 2nd April - Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)
- Tuesday 1st May - Labour Day (Fête du Travail)
- Tuesday 8th May - VE Day - (Fête de la Victoire 1945)
- Thursday 10th May - Ascension Day (l'Ascension)
- Monday 21th May - Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
Working hours are generally Monday to Friday from 8am or 9am to 12:00/12:30 and then from 14:00/14:30 to 18:00. However, as always, it depends where the organization is located, for example the long lunch break is unusual in Paris and other bigger cities.
The French National Day is the anniversary of Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, a turning point of the French Revolution, as well as the Fête de la Fédération which celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790. Celebrations are held throughout France.
The French celebrate the traditional Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter. They mark May Day, also known as Labor Day, on May 1. Victory in Europe Day on May 8 commemorates the end of hostilities in Europe in World War II. Bastille Day is celebrated on July 14.
Holidays and Observances in France in 2020
| Date | | Name |
|---|
| Jul 14 | Tuesday | Bastille Day |
| Aug 15 | Saturday | Assumption of Mary |
| Sep 22 | Tuesday | September Equinox |
Introduction to French public holidays
If a national holiday in France falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is usually given as a holiday. The two most widely celebrated holidays in France are Bastille Day on 14 July and All Saints Day on 1 November.1 May: International Labour Day or May Day
International Labour Day is also known as Labour Day or May Day. It is celebrated globally every year on 1st May. In India, Labour Day is referred as Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas or Kamgar Din.Easter egg hunts are also popular in France. Tradition has it that the Easter eggs are dropped into the garden by the bells as they fly past on their return from Rome to their churches, not the Easter bunny. These eggs used to be decorated hard-boiled eggs but now they tend to be small chocolate eggs.
On Easter Sunday morning, tradition says that the bells return, bringing chocolate. Then the traditional Easter egg hunt begins, when kids search for hidden chocolate bells and eggs around the house and garden. The French word for Easter is Pâques and comes from the Latin pascua, which means food.
On November 11th, France commemorates Armistice Day with a national holiday. Known in French as 'Jour d'armistice', Armistice Day is reserved as a day to commemorate the end of the first world war and honour the veterans of both World Wars.
This page contains a national calendar of all 2019 public
holidays.
France Public Holidays 2019.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|
| 14 Jul | Sun | Bastille Day |
| 15 Aug | Thu | Assumption Day |
| 1 Nov | Fri | All Saints' Day |
| 11 Nov | Mon | Armistice Day |
During the 11 official public
holidays in France, most businesses, shops and offices will be closed. Some supermarkets and bakeries may open in the morning.
List of Holidays in France in 2019.
| Date | Nov 01 |
|---|
| Holiday Name | All Saints' Day |
|---|
| French Name | La Toussaint |
|---|
| Type | Public Holiday |
|---|
Note: Good Friday and St Stephen's Day are observed in Alsace and Moselle only.
France Public Holidays 2020.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|
| 31 May | Sun | Whit Sunday |
| 1 Jun | Mon | Whit Monday |
| 14 Jul | Tue | Bastille Day |
| 15 Aug | Sat | Assumption Day |
What Holiday is Today? ( April 4, 2020)
| Holiday name | Holiday location | Holiday type |
|---|
| Children's Day | Taiwan | National Holiday |
| Independence Day | Senegal | Public Holiday |
| Peace Day | Angola | Public Holiday |
| National Vitamin C Day * | - | Weird |
Public Life
Good Friday is not a public holiday in many parts of France. However, schools and other educational establishments are closed on the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. Good Friday is a public holiday in some parts of Alsace and Lorraine.Celebrated on July, 14, Bastille Day is the French national day and the most important bank holiday in France! Setting the storming of the Bastille in 1789 as an essential part of the French History. The 14th July has become a major public holiday, traditionally considered as the symbol of the French Revolution.
This page contains a national calendar of all 2019 public
holidays.
France Public Holidays 2019.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|
| 10 Jun | Mon | Whit Monday |
| 14 Jul | Sun | Bastille Day |
| 15 Aug | Thu | Assumption Day |
| 1 Nov | Fri | All Saints' Day |
