French public and school holidays 2024

French public and school holiday dates 2024

Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year to you all. 

 

January is the perfect time to start planning your French travel adventures and to make the most of them, it’s always useful to know when the public and school holidays fall. Things have changed a lot in the twenty years since we’ve been living here, but in many areas of rural France, shops are still likely to be either closed or only open in the mornings on public holidays.

 

The school holiday dates in France are split into three zones and most of the holidays are staggered so not everyone is trying to hit the ski slopes or beaches at the same time, although be prepared for extra traffic on the roads on all Saturdays during the school holidays, or better still avoid driving on these days.

 

This summer Paris will be home to the Olympics, with 329 events over 19 days in 41 venues, which will mean a busy city, plus it’s all change for the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes. 

Here is my guide to all the French public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates, plus how they are celebrated here in France, for 2024. 

 

Public Holidays in France 2024

1^st January, New Year’s Day, jour de l’an 

31^st March, Easter Sunday, Pâques 

1^st April, Easter Monday, lundi de Pâques (note there is no Good Friday holiday in France unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

1^st May, Fête du Travail (celebrated with lily of the valley)

8^th May, Victory in Europe Day, Victoire 1945 

9^th May, Ascension Day, Ascension (note schools will have an extra day off on Friday 9^th May for the bridge (pont see below)) 

20^th May, Pentecost Monday, lundi de Pentecôte

14^th July, Fête Nationale (a Sunday this year)

15^th August, Assumption Day, Assomption 

1^st November, All Saint's Day, Toussaint

11^th November, Armistice Day, Armistice 1918 

25^th December, Christmas Day, Jour de Noël (note there is no Boxing Day holiday in France on 26^th unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

 

Faire le pont

Except for the holidays linked to Easter: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday, the above dates are the same every year and the holiday is always observed on the actual date rather than being moved to the nearest Monday (as the UK would do). Public holidays can therefore fall on weekends; to make up for this it is not uncommon for people to faire le pont (make a bridge) if a holiday falls on a Thursday (Ascension Day) or a Tuesday, by taking off the Friday or Monday to give themselves a four-day weekend. This leave will be part of their annual holiday entitlement, or the hours need to be made up, so while most businesses will be open on bridge days, some staff shortages can be expected. 

French school holiday zones 
https://www.vacances-scolaires-gouv.com

 

School Holidays 

 

Here are the dates for 2024:

The winter holiday is from 10^th February to 10^th March. 

Zone C gets the first two weeks, Zone A the middle two and Zone B the last two.

 

The spring holiday is from 6^th April to 5^th May. 

Zone C gets the first two weeks, Zone A the middle two and Zone B the last two weeks.

 

Thanks to Ascension Day falling on 9^th May, everyone is off for a five-day long weekend from Wednesday 8^th May (Victory in Europe Day) to Sunday 12^th May, with Friday being a bridge day.

 

The summer holiday for all zones is from 6^th July until 1^st September.

 

The October holiday for all zones is from 19^th October to 3^rd November.

 

The Christmas holiday for all zones is from 22^nd December to 6^th January 2025.

 

Other dates to note and celebrate

6^th January, Epiphany, celebrated in France with a Galette des Rois (see here)

10^th January, winter sales begin, soldes d’hiver. Sales are regulated in France and the winter sales will run from 10^th January to 6^th February 

 

2^nd February Candlemas day, Chandeleur, celebrated in France with pancakes (see here)

13^th February, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras when carnival time begins in France and pancakes, or beignets (similar to doughnuts) are eaten.

 

24^th March, Palm Sunday, Rameaux a day where our local boulangeries bake something different (see here)

31^st March, clocks spring forward an hour to Central European Summer Time

 

1^st April, Poisson d’avril celebrated in France with sticky fish (see here)

 

26^th May, Mother’s Day, fêtes des mères

27^th May, National Resistance Day, journée nationale de la Résistance

31^st May, Neighbours’ Day, fêtes des voisins often celebrated in France with shared meals

 

6^th June, 80^th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy that will be commemorated with a number of events this summer 

16^th June, Father’s Day, fêtes des pères

21^st June, world music day, fête de la musique, celebrated with free concerts in towns and villages all over France

26^th June, summer sales begin, soldes d’été, and will run until 16^th July

 

29^th June to 1^st July, Le Tour de France, with a planned depart in Florence, Italy, and a finish in Nice, NOT on the Champs-Elysées in Paris because of preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

 

26^th July to 11^th August, Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the Opening Ceremony on 26^th July

 

12^th to 18^th August, Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, begins in Rotterdam and finishes in Alpe d’Huez, in the Alps

21^st and 22^nd September, European Heritage weekend, Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, many museums and other cultural sites will be open to the public, often organising special events, and with free or reduced price entry

 

27^th October, clocks go back an hour to Central European Time and Christmas will be with us before we know it

Free museum entry on the First Sundays of the month 

Did you know many national museums in France open for free on the first Sunday of the month? Whilst not exclusive, as there are often restrictions in July and August, and some museums will close for some of the winter months, this is certainly a secret worth knowing and we’ve had some interesting visits over the years, all for free. Note: not all museums are national and without the financial support from the government, locally or independently run places will not have the ability to offer free entries. If you fancy a cultural city break, it would be worthwhile checking the museum websites to see if they are taking part and plan your visit accordingly.

 

7^th January

4^th February

3^rd March

7^th April

5^th May

2^nd June

7^th July

4^th August

1^st September

6^th October

3^rd November

1^st December

 

I hope you’ve found this useful and that wherever in France 2024 takes you, you have a wonderful time. I’d love to hear about your adventures and new discoveries.

 

  

French public and school holidays 2023

French public and school holidays 2023

Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year to you all. 

 

As has become a tradition for 1^st January, here is my annual post with all the French public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates, plus how they are celebrated here in France, for 2023. 

 

Public Holidays in France 2023

1^st January, New Year’s Day, jour de l’an (a Sunday this year)

9^th April, Easter Sunday, Pâques

10^th April, Easter Monday, lundi de Pâques (note there is no Good Friday holiday in France unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

1^st May, Fête du Travail

8^th May, Victory in Europe Day, Victoire 1945 

18^th May, Ascension Day, Ascension (note schools will have an extra day off on Friday 19^th May for the bridge (pont)) 

29^th May, Pentecost Monday, lundi de Pentecôte

14^th July, Fête Nationale

15^th August, Assumption Day, Assomption 

1^st November, All Saint's Day, Toussaint

11^th November, Armistice Day, Armistice 1918 (a Saturday this year)

25^th December, Christmas Day, Jour de Noël (note there is no Boxing Day holiday in France on 26^th unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

Faire le pont

 

Faire le pont

Except for the holidays linked to Easter: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday, the above dates are the same every year and the holiday is always observed on the actual date rather than being moved to the nearest Monday (as the UK would do). Public holidays can therefore fall on weekends; to make up for this it is not uncommon for people to faire le pont (make a bridge) if a holiday falls on a Thursday (Ascension Day) or a Tuesday, by taking off the Friday or Monday to give themselves a four-day weekend. This leave will be part of their annual holiday entitlement, or the hours need to be made up, so while most businesses will be open on bridge days, some staff shortages can be expected. 

 

It is worth noting that in many areas of rural France, although some opening is becoming more common, most shops are likely to be either closed or only open in the mornings on public holidays.

 

Other dates to note and celebrate

6^th January, Epiphany, celebrated in France with a Galette des Rois (see here)

11^th January, winter sales begin, soldes d’hiver, sales are regulated in France and the winter sales will run from 11^th January to 7^th February 

2^nd February Candlemas day, Chandeleur, celebrated in France with pancakes (see here)

21^st February, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras when carnival time begins in France and pancakes, or beignets (similar to doughnuts) are eaten.

26^th March, clocks spring forward an hour to Central European Summer Time

1^st April, Poisson d’avril celebrated in France with sticky fish (see here)

2^nd April, Palm Sunday, Rameaux a day where our local boulangeries bake something different (see here)

27^th May, National Resistance Day, journée nationale de la Résistance

2^nd June, Neighbours’ Day, fêtes des voisins, often celebrated in France with shared meals

4^th June, Mother’s Day, fêtes des mères

18^th June, Father’s Day, fêtes des pères

21^st June, world music day, fête de la musique, celebrated with free concerts in towns and villages all over France

28^th June, summer sales begin, soldes d’été, and will run until 25^th July

1^st July to 23^rd July, Le Tour de France, with a planned depart in Bilbao, Spain, and a finish on the Champs-Elysées in Paris

23^rd July to 30^th July, Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, begins in Clermont-Ferrand and finishes in Pau  

29^th October, clocks go back an hour to Central European Time (although the future of this is up for debate)

Vacances scolaires 2023 service-public.fr

 

School Holidays

In France the schools are split into three zones and most of the holidays are staggered so not everyone is trying to hit the ski slopes or beaches at the same time, although be prepared for extra traffic on the roads on all Saturdays during the school holidays, or better still avoid driving on these days.

 

Here are the dates for 2023:

The winter holiday is from 3^rd February to 6^th March. 

Zone A gets the first two weeks, Zone B the middle two and Zone C the last two.

 

The spring holiday is from 7^th April to 9^th May. 

Zone A gets the first two weeks, Zone B the middle two and Zone C the last two weeks.

 

The summer holiday for all zones is from 7^th July until 4^th September.

 

The October holiday for all zones is from 20^th October to 6^th November.

 

The Christmas holiday for all zones is from 22^nd December to 7^th January 2024.

 

Covid-19 has evolved from something that stopped the world to something we all need to live with. As I write this, overseas travel is pretty much back to normal, although we are still much happier wearing our masks when using public transport. Here is to lots of safe travel adventures in France this year and I hope you find this useful for planning your trip in the quieter weeks outside of the French school holidays. 

 

  

French public and school holidays 2022

French public and school holidays 2022

Happy New Year. 

 

January is with us once more and as in previous years, here is my annual post with all the French public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates, plus how they are celebrated here in France, for 2022. 

 

Nothing much seems to have changed from when I wrote a similar post last December, as we once again find ourselves living with strict Covid-19 controls in place, concerning who travel to France from the UK and the rules they must follow. 

 

I can only hope that travel and holidays in 2022 become easier for us all, but please do check with the relevant authorities before planning your 2022 holiday travel. The UK government update this information page on their website on a regular basis: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france

 

Public Holidays in France 2022

1^st January, New Year’s Day, jour de l’an (a Saturday this year)

17^th April, Easter Sunday, Pâques

18^th April, Easter Monday, lundi de Pâques (note there is no Good Friday holiday in France unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

1^st May, Fête du Travail (a Sunday this year)

8^th May, Victory in Europe Day, Victoire 1945 (a Sunday this year)

26^th May, Ascension Day, Ascension (note schools will have an extra day off on Friday 27^th May for the bridge (pont)) 

6^th June, Pentecost Monday, lundi de Pentecôte

14^th July, Fête Nationale 

15^th August, Assumption Day, Assomption 

1^st November, All Saints Day, Toussaint

11^th November, Armistice Day, Armistice 1918 

25^th December, Christmas Day, Jour de Noël (a Sunday this year) (note there is no Boxing Day holiday in France on 26^th unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

 

Faire le pont

Except for the holidays linked to Easter: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday, the above dates are the same every year and the holiday is always observed on the actual date rather than being moved to the nearest Monday (as the UK would do). Public holidays can therefore fall on weekends; to make up for this it is not uncommon for people to faire le pont (make a bridge) if a holiday falls on a Thursday (Ascension Day) or a Tuesday, by taking off the Friday or Monday to give themselves a four-day weekend. This leave will be part of their annual holiday entitlement, or the hours need to be made up, so while most businesses will be open on bridge days, some staff shortages can be expected. 

 

In 2022 four public holidays fall on Saturdays (1^st January) or Sundays (1^st May, 8^th May and 25^thDecember), and three have the option of bridging to a weekend (26^th May, 14^th July and 1^stNovember). It is worth noting that in many areas of rural France, although some opening is becoming more common, most shops are likely to be either closed or only open in the mornings on public holidays.

 

Other dates to note

6^th January, Epiphany, celebrated in France with a Galette des Rois (see here)

12^th January, winter sales begin, soldes d’hiver, sales are regulated in France and the winter sales will run from 12^th January to 8^th February (this may be subject to change, depending on current Covid-19 restrictions)

2^nd February Candlemas day, Chandeleur, celebrated in France with pancakes (see here)

1^st March, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras when carnival time begins in France and pancakes, or beignets (similar to doughnuts) are eaten.

27^th March, clocks spring forward an hour to Central European Summer Time

10^th April, Palm Sunday, Rameaux a day where our local boulangeries bake something different (see here)

27^th May, Neighbours’ Day, fêtes des voisins

29^th May, Mother’s Day, fêtes des mères

19^th June, Father’s Day, fêtes des pères

21^st June, world music day, fête de la musique, celebrated with free concerts in towns and villages all over France

22^nd June, summer sales begin, soldes d’été, and will run until 19^th July

1^st July to 24^th July, Le Tour de France, with a planned depart in Copenhagen and a finish in Paris

24^th July to 31^st July, Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the inaugural women’s Tour de France begins in Paris and finishes on the Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges 

30^th October, clocks go back an hour to Central European Time (although the future of this is up for debate)

service-public.fr

 

School Holidays

In France the schools are split into three zones and most of the holidays are staggered so not everyone is trying to hit the ski slopes or beaches at the same time, although be prepared for extra traffic on the roads on all Saturdays during the school holidays, or better still avoid driving on these days.

 

Here are the dates for 2022:

The winter holiday is from 5^th February to 7^th March. 

Zone B gets the first two weeks, Zone A the middle two and Zone C the last two.

 

The spring holiday is from 9^th April to 9^th May. 

Zone B gets the first two weeks, Zone A the middle two and Zone C the last two weeks.

 

The summer holiday for all zones is from 7^th July until 1^st September.

 

The October holiday for all zones is from 22^nd October to 7^th November.

 

The Christmas holiday for all zones is from 17^th December to 3^rd January 2023.

 

Whether you are new to life in France, or just hoping that at some point in 2022 enough normality will return to ensure you are able to make plans to travel to France on your holidays, I hope you find this useful for planning your trip in the quieter weeks outside of the French school holidays. 

 

Brexit

Please see my post from last year (click here) detailing the changes that Brexit brought in regarding travel between the UK to the EU.

 

I really do hope you are able to enjoy a safe holiday in France at some point this year. 

 

If you have found this post useful, please feel free to share it with your French loving friends and family. 

 

  

French Public and School Holidays 2021 and post-Brexit travel information

French Public and School Holidays 2021

Happy New Year. January is with us once more and as in previous years, here is my annual post with all of the public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates (and how they are celebrated) in France, for 2021. 

 

This is a post I have been writing for over five years and it always fills me with the excitement of a new year, planning new holidays and looking forward to summer adventures in France. This year, it seems a little at odds with our current Covid-19 uncertainty to be looking at holiday dates, especially with a view to planning a get away, but it seemed worthwhile updating it for 2021, even if school terms may be subject to changes and interruptions if France goes into another period of confinement.

 

As I write this there are strict controls in place on who can travel to France from the UK, due to Covid-19, and as this is likely to remain in place for most of the winter ski season, please do check with the relevant authorities before planning your 2021 holiday. 

 

Public Holidays in France 2021

1^st January, New Year’s Day, jour de l’an

4^th April, Easter Sunday, Pâques

5^th April, Easter Monday, lundi de Pâques (note there is no Good Friday holiday in France unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

1^st May, Fête du Travail (a Saturday this year)

8^th May, Victory in Europe Day, Victoire 1945 (a Saturday this year)

13^th May, Ascension Day, Ascension (note schools will have an extra day off on Friday 14^th May for the bridge pont) 

24^th May, Pentecost Monday, lundi de Pentecôte

14^th July, Fête Nationale 

15^th August, Assumption Day, Assomption (a Sunday this year)

1^st November, All Saint's Day, Toussaint

11^th November, Armistice Day, Armistice 1918 

25^th December, Christmas Day, Jour de Noël (a Saturday this year) (note there is no Boxing Day holiday in France on 26^th unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

 

Faire le pont

With the exception of the holidays linked to Easter: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday, the above dates are the same every year and the holiday is always observed on the actual date rather than being moved to the nearest Monday as the UK would do. Public holidays can therefore fall on weekends; to make up for this it is not uncommon for people to faire le pont (make a bridge) if a holiday falls on a Thursday (Ascension Day) or a Tuesday, by taking off the Friday or Monday to give themselves a four-day weekend. This will be part of their annual holiday entitlement, or the hours need to be made up, so while most businesses will be open on bridge days, some staff shortages can be expected. In 2021 four public holidays fall on Saturdays (1^st May, 8^th May and 25^th December) or Sundays (15^th August), and only two have the option of bridging to a weekend (13^th May and 11^thNovember). It is worth noting that in many areas of rural France, although some opening is becoming more common, most shops are likely to be either closed or only open in the mornings on public holidays.

 

Boulangerie treats for Palm Sunday

Other dates to note

6^th January, Epiphany, celebrated in France with a Galette des Rois (see here)

20^th January, winter sales begin, soldes d’hiver, sales are regulated in France and the winter sales run from 20^th January to 16^th February (a little later than normal, thanks to Covid-19)

2^nd February Candlemas day, Chandeleur, celebrated in France with pancakes (see here)

16^th February, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras when carnival time begins in France and pancakes and beignets (similar to doughnuts) are eaten.

28^th March, clocks spring forward an hour to Central European Summer Time

28^th March, Palm Sunday, Rameaux a day where our local boulangeries bake something different (see here)

28^th May, Neighbours’ Day, fêtes des voisins

30^th May, Mother’s Day, fêtes des mères

20^th June, Father’s Day, fêtes des pères

21^st June, world music day, fête de la musique, celebrated with free concerts in towns and villages all over France

23^rd June, summer sales begin, soldes d’été, and will run until 20^th July

26^th June to 18^th July, Le Tour de France

31^st October, clocks go back an hour to Central European Time (although this up for debate)

 

French school holiday zones

School Holidays

In France the schools are split into three zones and most of the holidays are staggered so not everyone is trying to hit the ski slopes or beaches at the same time, although be prepared for extra traffic on the roads on all Saturdays during the school holidays, or better still avoid driving on these days.

 

Here are the dates for 2021:

The winter holiday is from 6^th February to 8^th March. 

Zone A gets the first two weeks, Zone C the middle two and Zone B the last two.

 

The spring holiday is from 10^th April to 10^th May. 

Zone A gets the first two weeks, Zone C the middle two and Zone B the last two weeks.

 

The summer holiday for all zones is from 6^th July until 2^nd September.

 

The October holiday for all zones is from 23^rd October to 8^th November.

 

The Christmas holiday for all zones is from 18^th December to 3^rd January 2022.

 

Whether you are new to life in France, or just hoping that at some point in 2021 enough normality will return to ensure you are able to make plans to travel to France on your holidays, I hope you find this blog useful for planning your trip in the quiet weeks outside of the French school holidays. 

 

A citizen of the EU

Brexit

The deal has been done and from 1^st January 2021 there are many things that have changed for British citizens who wish to travel to France. Detailed information can be found on the following links provided by the British Embassy in Paris, but I have summarised the basics for you.

 

Passports

To visit France, you will need a valid UK passport that has at least six months left on it, and be able to prove you have enough money for your stay, if asked. Your passport may be stamped, and you will need to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when arriving. More details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france

 

Visas 

You can visit France for up to 90 days in every 180 days without a visa. This includes holidays and business trips. If you want to stay in France for longer than 90 days in any 180-day period, you will need to apply for a visa. Full details can be found here: https://uk.ambafrance.org/BREXIT-all-visa-related-provisions

 

Food and customs

You will no longer able to bring meat or dairy products into the EU from the UK, so don’t be tempted to pack any blocks of Cheddar or Stilton, or packs of bacon, to help you survive your French holiday. The full set of regulations can be found here:  https://ec.europa.eu/.../animalproducts/personal_imports_en

There are also changes to the volume and value of certain goods that you can bring to France from the UK, for items such as alcohol, tobacco, fuel and medicine. Please find full details here: https://www.douane.gouv.fr/.../volume-and-value-based...

 

EHIC and travel insurance

A UK-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will remain valid until it expires. Your EHIC gives you the right to access emergency state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the EU. You can find the latest travel advice here: https://www.gov.uk/.../uk-residents-visiting-the-eueea...

If you need a replacement for an expired EHIC, you will get a new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) instead. You can find more information, including how to apply, here: https://www.nhs.uk/.../apply-for-a-free-ehic-european.../. 

A GHIC or EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It will not cover the costs of private medical healthcare, so you are advised to ensure you have travel insurance to cover all your healthcare needs. 

 

Pet passports

A current EU pet passport issued in Great Britain will no longer be valid for travel. To bring your pet to France, you will need an Animal Health Certificate, signed by your vet no more than 10 days before travel. Full details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/.../pet-travel-to-europe-from-1...

 

Data roaming 

Surcharge-free data roaming will no longer be guaranteed. However, mobile operators including Three, EE, O2 and Vodafone have stated they have no current plans to change their mobile roaming policies and all operators must inform you when charges are about to go over a monthly threshold: https://www.gov.uk/.../using-your-mobile-in-eu-and-eea.... You should contact your operator for more details.

 

UK driving licences

These will continue to be recognised in France until at least 31^st December 2021.

 

I really do hope you are able to enjoy a safe holiday in France at some point this year. 

 

Please feel free to share this post with your French loving friends and family. 

 

  

French Public and School Holidays 2020

Holidays in France

Happy New Year. January is here once more and this year it is heralding the start of a new decade. As in previous years, here is my annual reminder of the public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates (and how they are celebrated) in France for 2020. 

Public Holidays in France 2020

1^st January, New Years Day, jour de l’an

12^th April, Easter Sunday, Pâques look out for flying bells (see here).

13^th April, Easter Monday, lundi de Pâques (note there is no Good Friday holiday in France unless you live in the Alsace or Moselle areas)

1^st May, Fête du Travail

8^th May, Victory in Europe Day, Victoire 1945

21^st May, Ascension Day, Ascension (note in 2020 the schools will have an extra day off on Friday 22^nd May for the bridge pont, giving them a nice long weekend) 

1^st June, Pentecost Monday, lundi de Pentecôte

14^th July, Fête Nationale 

15^th August, Assumption Day, Assomption

1^st November, All Saint's Day, Toussaint

11^th November, Armistice Day, Armistice 1918 

25^th December, Christmas Day, Jour de Noël (note there is no Boxing Day holiday in France on 26^th unless you live in the Alsace or Moselle areas)

With the exception of the holidays linked to Easter: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday, the above dates are the same every year and the holiday is always observed on the actual date rather than being moved to the nearest Monday as the UK would do. Public holidays can therefore fall on weekends (Assumption Day 2020 is a Saturday and All Saint’s Day a Sunday); to make up for this it is not uncommon for people to faire le pont (make a bridge) if a holiday falls on a Thursday (Ascension Day) or a Tuesday (14^th July Fête Nationale), by taking off the Friday or Monday giving themselves a four-day weekend. This will be part of their annual holiday entitlement, or the hours need to be made up, so while most businesses will be open on bridge days, some staff shortages can be expected. It is worth noting that in many areas of rural France, although opening for some hours on a public holiday is becoming more common, most shops are likely to be either closed or only open in the mornings.

 

Le Tour de France 27th June to 19th July 2020

Other dates to note:

6^th January, Epiphany, celebrated in France with a Galette des Rois (see here)

8^th January, winter sales begin, soldes d’hiver, sales dates are regulated in France and the winter sales this year run from 8^th January to 4^th February

18^th January, Reading Night, Nuit de la lecture (see here)

2^nd February Candlemas day, Chandeleur, celebrated in France with pancakes (see here)

25^th February, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi-Gras when carnival time begins in France and pancakes and beignets (similar to doughnuts) are eaten.

15^th March, round one of the local elections to decide the maire and council for the next six years.

22^nd March, round two (and deciding round) of local elections.

29^th March, clocks spring forward an hour to Central European Summertime

5^th April, Palm Sunday, Rameaux a day where our local boulangeries bake something a little different (see here)

29^th May, Neigbours’ Day, fêtes des voisins

7^th June, Mother’s Day, fêtes des mères

21^st June, Father’s Day, fêtes des pères

21^st June, fête de la musique, world music day, celebrated here with free concerts in towns and villages all over France

24^th June, summer sales begin, Soldes d’été, and will run until 21^st July

27^th June to 19^th July, Le Tour de France. Le Grand Depart for 2020 will be in Nice

25^th October, clocks fall back an hour to Central European Time (although this is currently up for debate)

 

French School Holiday Zones

School Holidays

In France the schools are split into three zones and most of the holidays are staggered so not everyone is trying to hit the ski slopes or beaches at the same time, although be prepared for extra traffic on the roads on all Saturdays during the school holidays, or better still avoid driving on these days. Live traffic updates can be found on the Bison-Futé website here. 

Here are the dates for 2020:

The winter holiday is from 8^th February to 9^th March. 

Zone C gets the first two weeks, Zone B the middle two and Zone A the last two.

The spring holiday is from 4^th April to 4^th May. 

Zone C gets the first two weeks, Zone B the middle two and Zone A the last two weeks.

The summer holiday for all zones is from 4^th July until 1^st September.

The October holiday for all zones is from 17^th October to 2^nd November.

The Christmas holiday for all zones is from 19^th December to 4^th January 2021.

Whether you are new to life in France, or just wanting to plan your holiday here in the quieter weeks outside of the French school holidays, I hope you find this blog useful. Please feel free to share this post with your French-loving friends and family. 

Wherever you visit in France this year, I hope you have a great holiday. If you are planning on driving, you might like to read my popular post that highlights the do’s and don’ts of driving in France (see here).