January 1: 

The first day of the year, or New Year’s Day, has been a holiday since 1810. In France, New Year’s Eve (le réveillon de la Saint Sylvestre), on December 31, celebrates the arrival of the new year and the end of the old.

Easter Monday: Easter (Pâques) is a Christian holiday that commemorates the biblical account of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, three days after his crucifixion. The date varies from year to year: it can fall between March 23 and March 26. The religious festival is celebrated over two days: Easter itself is on a Sunday, and the day after is referred to as “Easter Monday”, and is a public holiday. Traditionally, church bells stop chiming the Thursday before Easter, as a sign of mourning for the death of Jesus. An Easter legend often told to children is that the bells travel to Rome and then come back on Easter day, bringing eggs and chocolate. According to the same tradition, young children hunt for egg-shaped chocolates in their gardens on Easter Sunday.

May 1, or May Day: This has been a day celebrating workers since 1947. Its origins can be found in a US strike movement that began on May 1, 1886. In France, it is the only universal paid holiday. According to French tradition, people offer small bouquets of lily of the valley, which are considered to bring good luck and which are a sign of spring.

May 8: The date of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. It was the end of the war in Europe. It was first declared a holiday in 1953, though this was cancelled in 1959 by Charles de Gaulle. It was reinstated in 1981 under President Mitterand and has remained a holiday since then.

Feast of the Ascension: This Christian holiday falls approximately 40 days after Easter and celebrates the biblical account of Jesus Christ’s rise to heaven after his resurrection.

Pentecost Monday (or Whit Monday): The Christian festival of the Pentecost falls 50 days after Easter. Christians celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to Jesus’s apostles, as told in the Bible. Pentecost itself falls on a Sunday. The following day – Pentecost Monday – has been a holiday in France since 1886.

July 14: France’s national holiday, sometimes called Bastille Day in English. It has been considered a public holiday since 1880. The first Bastille Day celebration was in 1790, to commemorate the storming of the Bastille fortress one year earlier, on July 14, 1789. That date is considered to mark the end of the monarchy in France, the end of the privileges of the Catholic clergy, and the beginning of the Revolution. Following tradition, there is a military parade on the Champs Elysées in Paris, and fireworks shows throughout France.

Assumption: A Christian holiday observed on August 15. Christians celebrate the biblical account of the ascent to heaven of Mary, mother of Jesus Christ.

All Saints’ Day: A Catholic holiday observed on November 1, and a public holiday since 1801. The Catholic Church honors all saints this day. It is often associated with All Souls’ Day, when families visit the tombs of deceased loved ones.

November 11: This public holiday marks the surrender of the Germans in 1918 and the end of World War I. Official ceremonies are observed throughout France in honour of those who died during the war.

Christmas: Observed on December 25, this Christian holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ in the Bible. Despite its religious origin, Christmas has become a more universal holiday in which families come together for a festive meal and to exchange gifts.