France has 11 national public holidays (jours fériés) in 2026, and the French take them seriously. If your global team includes colleagues in France, understanding these holidays — and the uniquely French tradition of making bridge days (faire le pont) — is essential for realistic project planning.
This guide covers every French public holiday in 2026, explains regional exceptions, and shows how to automate holiday blocking across your international team.
All French Public Holidays (Jours Fériés) in 2026
New Year's Day (Jour de l'An) is January 1. Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques) is April 6. Labour Day (Fête du Travail) is May 1, the only holiday where employees are legally guaranteed a day off. Victory in Europe Day (Victoire 1945) is May 8. Ascension Day (Ascension) is May 14. Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte) is May 25. Bastille Day (Fête Nationale) is July 14. Assumption of Mary (Assomption) is August 15. All Saints' Day (Toussaint) is November 1. Armistice Day (Armistice 1918) is November 11. Christmas Day (Noël) is December 25.
The French Art of Bridge Days (Faire le Pont)
When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many French employees take the adjacent Monday or Friday off to create a four-day weekend. This practice is called faire le pont (making the bridge). In 2026, May is particularly affected: Labour Day (May 1, Friday) creates a long weekend, Ascension Day (May 14, Thursday) leads to a pont on Friday May 15, and Whit Monday (May 25) is already a Monday. Expect significantly reduced availability throughout May.
For international teams, this means May in France is essentially a month of reduced productivity. Plan critical deadlines and launches around this reality.
Regional Exception: Alsace-Moselle
The Alsace-Moselle region (departments Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, and Moselle) has two additional public holidays due to historical local law: Good Friday (Vendredi Saint, April 3) and Saint Stephen's Day (Saint-Étienne, December 26). If you have team members in Strasbourg, Mulhouse, or Metz, they get 13 public holidays instead of the standard 11.
Labour Day vs Other Holidays: An Important Distinction
May 1 (Labour Day) is the only French public holiday where employers are legally required to give employees a paid day off. For all other jours fériés, it depends on the collective agreement (convention collective) or company policy. In practice, most companies observe all 11 holidays, but it's worth knowing the legal distinction if you're managing HR compliance.
Automate French Holiday Calendar Management
Autolidays automatically blocks all French public holidays in your team's Google Calendar. No more manually checking which holidays apply, no more accidentally scheduling meetings on Bastille Day, and no more missed bridge days catching you off guard.
Browse all French holidays on our holidays page and start automating your team's holiday calendar today.