Public holidays in France
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There are eleven official public holidays in France,<ref>French labor law, L3133-3</ref> of which three are movable days which always fall on a weekday. The Alsace region and the Moselle department observe two additional days.<ref name="French labor law">French labor law, IDCC 1686</ref> These holidays do not shift when they fall during a weekend,<ref name="French labor law"/> which means that the average number of observed public holidays falling on weekdays (outside Alsace and Moselle) is 8.7 and ranges from seven to ten. Most Asian countries and all North American countries observe between two and ten more public holidays per year on weekdays.<ref>Employee holiday entitlement around the world, Mercer</ref>
Public holidays in France
| Date | English name | Local name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | Template:Lang | |
| moveable | Good Friday | Template:Lang | Friday before Easter Sunday. Alsace and Moselle only.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| moveable | Easter Monday | Template:Lang | Monday after Easter Sunday (one day after Easter Sunday) |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Template:Lang | |
| 8 May | Victory Day | Template:Lang | End of hostilities in Europe in World War II |
| moveable | Ascension Day | Template:Lang | Thursday, 39 days after Easter Sunday |
| moveable | Whit Monday | Template:Lang | Monday after Pentecost (50 days after Easter), observed only in some businesses, see notes |
| 14 July | National Day | Template:Lang | French National Day, commemorates the Feast of the Federation |
| 15 August | Assumption Day | Template:Lang | |
| 1 November | All Saints' Day | Template:Lang | |
| 11 November | Armistice Day | Template:Lang | End of World War I |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | Template:Lang | Newspapers are not published. Pubs, restaurants, shops, etc. closed all day by law. |
| 26 December | Saint Stephen's Day | Template:Lang | Alsace and Moselle only.<ref name="auto"/> |
Overseas territories
- Template:Lang (mid-Lent); occurs on a Thursday, 22 days after Ash Wednesday; therefore, between 26 February and 1 April.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Good Friday (Template:Lang)
- Abolition of slavery: 27 May.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Abolition of slavery: 10 June.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Abolition of slavery: 22 May.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Citizenship Day (Template:Lang): 24 September.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Missionary Day (Template:Langx): 5 March.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Matari'i (Template:Langx): 31 November.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Réunion Freedom Day (Template:Langx; Template:Langx) 20 December.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Abolition of slavery: 9 October.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Abolition of slavery: 28 May.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Feast of Saint Peter Chanel: 28 April.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Festival of the Territory: 29 July.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Notes
Note: French law dictates that work should stop, but be paid only for the Template:Lang (May Day, 1 May),<ref>Code du Travail, L3133-4</ref> except in industries where it is infeasible to stop working.<ref>Code du Travail, L3133-6</ref> The rest of the public holidays are listed in statute law,<ref>Code du Travail, L3133-1</ref> but law does not dictate that work should stop; however a leave from work may be granted by the employer or by Template:Lang, an agreement between employers' and employees' trade unions.
In 2005, French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin removed Pentecost (Whit) Monday's status as a public holiday. This decision was eventually overruled by French courts in 2008.Template:Citation needed Employers are free to decide whether to make Whit Monday a day off or not.<ref>LOI n° 2008 – 351</ref>