French Public holidays, Festivals and Religious holidays

Many shops are closed on Public Holidays in France and Belgium - check our Holiday Shopping page before you go. Police stations and hospitals stay open.

Public Holidays (Fêtes) in France, Belgium & the U.K. 2008.

Shoppers should look at the France, Belgium & Luxembourg columns. (YES = Public Holiday in that country)

Key; (red text ) Fr - Public Holiday or Religious day (some shops may be closed) in France. Otherwise U.K.so may be busy on ferries and Eurotunnel.

There are 10 Public Holidays a year in France.

Important dates to watch out for this ski season (week beginning)

Christmas week 2007 - Saturday 22nd and Saturday 29th December.

New Year week 2008; Starts Saturday 29th December 2007

February Half term (U.K.) 2008; Most from Saturday 16th to 24th February 2008 (Kent).

Easter week: Week beginning saturday 15th March (Good Friday March 21st), Week beginnin 22nd March (Easter Monday 24th March).

Spring Holidays 2008; 5th to 20th April 2008 (Kent)

Busy days when prices will be high in 2008

February - 8th, 9th, 15th to 17th, 23rd and 24th

May - 23rd, 24th and 31st

June - 1st, 13th, 14th, 15th.

July - 25th and 26th

August - 1st to 3rd, 29th to 31st.

Other days of interest

Valentines Day - Thursday 14th February 2008.

Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) - 25th February 2008.

Grandmother's Day (Fête des Grand-mères - Sunday 2nd March 2008

Mother's Day - Sunday 2nd March 2008 - in France it is on Sunday 25th May 2008.

Father's Day - Sunday 15th June 2008.

Halloween - Friday 31st October 2008.

Seasons begin

Spring (Printemps) 20th March, Summer (Été) 21st June, Autumn (Automme) 22nd September, Winter (Hiver) 21st December.

Traditionally

New Year's Day - is devoted to visiting parents and older relatives and exchanging gifts (instead of on Christmas Day). Don't forget to tip your concierges as they will expect it.

May 1 - is a legal holiday in France. A French custom is to present muguets (lilies of the valley) to friends and loved ones to bring them happiness and porte bonheur (good luck). Everyone is entitled to pick wild muguet, found in the forests surrounding Paris. May 1st is the only day of the year that anyone can sell muguet or other flowers without a license. If you find yourself at the Elysées Palace, you might see Les Forts des Halles (porters of the Paris market), dressed in the traditional porters outfits, presenting muguet to the President of France.

Assumption - celebrations such as harvest festivals and the blessing of the sea happen on this day.

All Souls Day - it is the custom in France to visit the graves of relatives on the day before the Jour des Morts or on the day itself. Flowers (usually chrysanthemums) are placed on the graves. Chrysanthemums were the seasonal flowers before greenhouses existed, and are the traditional flowers used on this day. Thursday don't even consider offering chrysanthemums when invited to people's houses for dinner, etc.

Christmas - is the time to eat the holiday foods at the traditional Christmas dinner (le réveillon): boudin blanc (white sausage), foie gras, pheasants, saumon fumé, huîtres, and bûches de Noël (yule log-shaped cake).

Christian holidays - Dates change each year

British School Holidays 2008/ 2009 - these dates can vary depending on the authority (we have used Kent's dates) Skiing

Summer 2009 - Summer holidays begin 18th July and end 31st August 2009.

French School Holidays 2008/ 2009 - French web site

Summer holidays in 2009 begin on the 2nd July and continue to the 2nd September 2009.