No — today is not a public holiday in France

How to tell if today is a public holiday in France

France recognises eleven jours fériés under article L3133-1 of the Code du travail. Only 1 May, the Fête du Travail, is mandatorily paid; the other ten are paid only if the collective agreement or employer policy says so, although in practice most employers do honour them. The list mixes civic dates (Bastille Day, 11 November Armistice, 8 May VE Day) with Catholic dates inherited from the 1905 separation of church and state (Easter Monday, Ascension, Pentecost, Assumption, All Saints, Christmas). Alsace and Moselle, governed under local Concordat law since 1801, additionally observe Good Friday and Saint Stephen's Day on 26 December.

That structure is why a simple "is it a holiday today" answer for France is more nuanced than a single yes or no. A date can be a public holiday at the national level, a regional one observed only in certain states or provinces, or a banking holiday that closes financial settlement without closing every employer. The status shown above reflects the nationally recognised public holiday list for France; if you are in a specific region, check the full calendar for the local additions that do not appear on the national list.

Working days and the holiday calendar in France

French law uses two distinct terms. Jour ouvrable is any day except Sunday and public holidays, so Saturday counts; jour ouvré is the actual business day, typically Monday to Friday. Statutory leave under article L3141-3 is counted in jours ouvrables at 2.5 days per month worked, giving 30 days a year, which converts to 25 jours ouvrés. Notice periods in commercial contracts and the Code de procédure civile distinguish the two carefully. Bank settlement runs on TARGET2 for euro transactions and on the Banque de France domestic calendar for cheques and direct debits, which mirrors the eleven national jours fériés.

Right now there are about 17 full working days between today and Bastille Day, counting Monday to Friday and skipping any other public holidays in between. If you are scheduling a deliverable, a delivery, or a meeting that depends on people being at their desks in France, that is the realistic window you have before the next closure.

For cross-border planning, overlay the France calendar with the calendars of the other countries your team works with. A week that looks completely open from your side can be a national holiday on theirs, and the clash only shows up when you compare the two side by side. The full holiday page links into a country-by-country comparison so you can spot the weeks where almost nobody is at their desk before you commit to a date.

Holiday dates are compiled from Nager.Date and the national sources listed above. Regional and substitute-day rules vary; for legal deadlines, confirm the observed date with the relevant official calendar for France.