42
Holidays make the 12 months extra enjoyable in any nation. As a traditionally Catholic nation, France’s holidays are carefully aligned with the Catholic calendar. It’s not all about faith, although; some days present alternatives to recollect solemn occasions in days’ previous, whereas others give room for these with a humorousness.
Under, we’ll check out the complete calendar of French holidays in 2024. Whether or not you’re planning a visit to France or celebrating the vacations at residence, you’ll learn to honor every vacation the French manner.
Able to take your language expertise to the subsequent degree? Studying French received’t simply allow you to deepen your cultural data—it’ll join you with an entire new neighborhood of individuals. Rosetta Stone’s enjoyable, bite-sized classes may help you do all of it by yourself schedule. Study extra about holidays in France under, after which dive proper into your first Rosetta Stone lesson.
Full listing of French public holidays
Rejoice the vacations in fashion. Under, you’ll discover each public vacation in 2024:
- January 1 – Nouvel An (New Yr’s Day)
- March 29 – Vendredi Saint (Good Friday)
- April 1 – Lundi Pâques (Easter Monday)
- Might 1 – La Fête du Travail (Might Day)
- Might 8 – Fête de la Victoire de 1945 (Victory in Europe Day)
- Might 9 – L’ascension (Ascension Day)
- Might 19 – Pentecôte (Pentecost)
- July 14 – La Fête Nationale (Bastille Day)
- August 15 – L’assomption (Assumption Day)
- November 1 – La Toussaint (All Saints Day)
- November 11- L’armistice (Armistice Day)
- December 25 – Noël (Christmas)
- December 26 – Saint Etienne (Saint Stephen’s Day)
Then, there are the enjoyable holidays. They won’t be honored with a break day work, however they’re culturally vital and completely value celebrating:
- January 6 – Épiphanie (Epiphany)
- February 2 – Chandeleur (Candlemas)
- February 13 – Mardi Gras (Fats Tuesday)
- April 1 – Poisson d’Avril – (April Idiot’s Day)
January 1 – Nouvel An (New Yr’s Day)
Much like traditions in the US, France rings within the new 12 months with events, champagne, and fireworks. The most important celebration in Paris is by the Eiffel Tower. Meals related to the vacation embrace foie gras, oysters, and different native specialties. It is not uncommon to eat out of an elaborate fifteen course meal. Kissing at midnight is customary and thought of good luck for the approaching 12 months!
January 6 – l’Epiphanie (Epiphany)
Epiphany takes place twelve days after Christmas and celebrates the three kings’ arrival to go to child Jesus. Although not a public vacation, it’s religiously and culturally vital to the French Catholic neighborhood. Crucial French Epiphany custom is consuming La Galette des Roi (The Kings’ Cake), a spherical puff pastry stuffed with almond creme and a small figurine known as a fève hidden inside. Historically, the youngest little one within the household hides underneath the desk whereas the cake is served and whoever finds the fève is claimed to have good luck for the 12 months!
February 2 – Chandeleur (Candlemas)
Chandeleur, also referred to as Candlemas, is a part of the Catholic calendar, however the spiritual significance doesn’t have a lot to do with how the vacation is well known right this moment. It takes place 40 days after Christmas to commemorate the presentation of child Jesus to the temple. It additionally signifies the top of winter! Like Epiphany, Candlemas just isn’t a public vacation.
French individuals honor Chandeleur in the easiest way one can rejoice a vacation: with loads of crepes. It is a custom that goes manner again. Each the round form and the golden colour of crepes symbolize the solar. Pope Gelasius I is claimed to have popularized using crepes within the fifth century when he gifted galettes to the lots throughout a candlelit procession in Rome.
There are a number of regional superstitions across the vacation. Some say that sunshine on Chandeleur brings dangerous luck for the remainder of the winter, others say the other. It’s additionally conventional to carry a coin in your dominant hand and prepare dinner the crepes together with your non-dominant hand. In case you efficiently flip a crepe within the pan together with your non-dominant hand, it’s mentioned to convey good luck for the remainder of the 12 months.
>> Pair your crepe-making expertise with these 100+ must-know French phrases.
February 13 – Mardi Gras (Fats Tuesday)
Mardi Gras is essentially the most exported French vacation custom. Most North Individuals affiliate it with New Orleans, however it’s a widespread vacation in Metropolitan France and different locations with a historical past of French presence. It’s historically an extravagant feast earlier than Ash Wednesday and the contemplative, fasting season of Lent. In some areas, Mardi Gras is a small affair with wealthy fatty meals. In others, it’s a full-blown competition with parades, costumes, and partying within the streets.
March 29 – Vendredi Saint (Good Friday)
Good Friday, which commemorates the day Jesus was crucified, is often a break day work in France. Training Catholics normally go to a somber mass on today, however for everybody else it’s a break day work earlier than Easter.
April 1 – Lundi Pâques (Easter Monday)
Easter Sunday is without doubt one of the most necessary Catholic holidays. It’s a very huge deal in France to non secular and secular communities alike. They rejoice for 2 days, Sunday and Monday. Dinner is normally rooster or lamb and chocolate bells, eggs, and rabbits are hidden as treats. France doesn’t historically have an Easter Bunny, however some northern areas have began utilizing it lately. Their kids’s legend is that church bells ship the treats on their manner again from Rome. Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, and Good Friday are additionally celebrated round Easter.
April 1 – Poisson d’Avril (April Idiot’s Day)
In North America, we all know to maintain our guard up on April Idiot’s day, lest we fall sufferer to a barrage of pranks. In France, they rejoice it a bit of in a different way. Poisson d’Avril actually interprets to “April Fish.” Although different sorts of pranks are allowed, the commonest is to stay a paper fish on another person’s again and look ahead to them to note.
This custom comes from the origins of April Idiot’s, in 1684 when King Charles XI moved the beginning of the 12 months from April 1 to January 1. Individuals continued to offer their family members items on April 1 as they might have if it had been nonetheless the brand new 12 months. Fish had been a standard reward for the reason that day usually falls throughout lent, when Catholics don’t eat meat. Over time, the literal fish had been changed with symbolic fish and the items acquired sillier.
>> France takes its meals significantly! Take a look at these hilarious French food-themed idioms.
Might 1 – La Fête du Travail (Might Day)
France, together with most international locations in Europe, celebrates the labor motion on the primary of Might. America is the odd one out for celebrating it in September (a method of distancing the vacation from its Communist origins).
For the reason that French love employees’ rights and protests, they take Might Day very significantly. It is without doubt one of the few days when all companies shut. Commerce unions manage demonstrations for employees’ rights and different causes and hundreds of individuals attend. It is usually conventional to offer family members lily of the valley bouquets to convey them good luck within the remaining spring season.
Might 8 – Fête de la Victoire de 1945 (Victory in Europe Day)
Often known as Jour de la Liberation, this vacation marks Germany’s give up in Reims, France in 1945, which ended World Struggle II on the European entrance. It’s a somber vacation for honoring each the troopers who died within the warfare and the victims of the Holocaust. In Paris, the President of the Republic lays a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier on the Arc du Triomphe and a army parade down the Champs Elysées follows. Different cities have related somber parades on a smaller scale.
Might 9 – L’ascension (Ascension Day)
Ascension Day celebrates Jesus’ ascension into heaven 40 days after Easter. It at all times takes place on a Thursday. The spiritual significance of the vacation has develop into much less necessary to the French public as they’ve develop into extra secular, however they do benefit from the break day. Many companies additionally shut on the next Friday, although it isn’t an official public vacation, giving their staff a four-day weekend.
Might 19 – Pentecôte (Pentecost)
Pentecost takes place 50 days after Easter, commemorating the day the holy spirit descended upon the apostles and induced them to talk in tongues. Throughout Pentecost weekend, hundreds of religious Catholics stroll 100 km from Notre Dame de Paris and Chartres Cathedral for the Notre-Dame de Chrétienté pilgrimage. Many French households eat veal on Pentecost, however this can be a pretty new custom. It originated with a “ veau de la Pentecôte” marketing campaign from the agricultural sector to encourage veal consumption throughout slaughter season. The next Monday is a break day work, so non-Christian French communities can benefit from the day despite the fact that they don’t rejoice it.
July 14 – La Fête Nationale (Bastille Day)
France’s fête nationale commemorates the storming of La Bastille on 14 July 1789, which was the start of the French Revolution. Nonetheless, solely English audio system name it Bastille Day. In France, it’s extra generally generally known as Quatorze Juillet (referring to the date) or La Fête Nationale. In Paris, the day features a army parade down the Champs Elysées, fireworks, music in parks, and free entry to museums.
August 15 – L’assomption (Assumption Day)
Assumption Day is a Catholic vacation celebrating the day when Mary ascended to heaven in accordance with custom. Catholics attend a particular mass that day. Everybody else merely enjoys the lengthy weekend. Like all public holidays in France, most companies are closed, not simply those with a 9-5 schedule.
November 1 – La Toussaint (All Saints Day)
All Saints Day is a Catholic vacation to honor all the saints within the canon. It’s a public vacation in France when many households get collectively to honor deceased family members. The commonest ritual is to put chrysanthemums at members of the family’ graves. The flower symbolizes grief, particularly in France. In truth, it’s a fake pas to offer them in another context.
November 11- L’armistice (Armistice Day)
France celebrates the top of World Struggle I on the identical day that we in the US know as Veteran’s Day. Like Jour de la Liberation, it’s a somber vacation with army parades, ceremonies, and reflection on those that have died in wars.
December 25 – Noël (Christmas)
Christmas, in fact, is the opposite most necessary vacation within the Christian calendar. Like in the US, it’s celebrated by many secular households as properly. French households usually eat a small Christmas Eve dinner at midnight to rejoice the start of Christmas day. Youngsters go away their footwear by the fireside for Père Noël. The standard Christmas Dinner fundamental course is roast turkey or goose. The most well-liked dessert is bûche de Noël, a sponge cake log.
December 26 – Saint Etienne (Saint Stephen’s Day)
Saint Stephen’s Day is the day after Christmas and honors the primary Christian martyr. French Christians go to a somber church service to honor his life. It’s a public vacation within the Alsace-Moselle area, however not in the remainder of France. It is usually a preferred buying day due to the post-Christmas bargains.
Get to know France even higher with Rosetta Stone
Who doesn’t love celebrating the vacations? Whereas sure holidays are greatest celebrated of their nation of origin, many of the customs above might be simply included into your traditions at residence.
If you wish to deepen your understanding of French tradition, Rosetta Stone is right here that will help you. Studying French may help you construct connections with the individuals and locations you’re keen on! Plus, our bite-sized classes make studying enjoyable and immersive—it’s manner extra gratifying and efficient than memorizing flashcards or textbook chapters. Why wait?
Written by Luca Harsh
