Is today a public holiday in France?

Code du Travail, Alsace-Moselle Rules & TARGET2 Rails

In France, public holidays are codified under Article L3133-1 of the Code du travail, which lists 11 statutory public holidays (jours fériés légaux). However, French labor law establishes a fundamental distinction between the 1st of May and the other ten statutory dates.

The 1er Mai Exception vs. Ordinary Public Holidays

Under Article L3133-4 of the Code du travail, Labour Day (1er Mai) is the only statutory public holiday that is obligatorily non-working and paid (chômé et payé) by public order law for all employees. Working on 1 May is legally prohibited except in continuous operations (such as hospitals, transport, and hospitality). Under Article L3133-6, employees who legally work on 1 May are entitled to a mandatory 100% pay indemnity (double pay).

The remaining 10 public holidays are classified as 'ordinary public holidays' (jours fériés ordinaires). Under statutory baseline rules, granting these days off is not mandatory for adult workers; whether an ordinary holiday is non-working depends on industry collective bargaining agreements (conventions collectives), enterprise accords, or established employer custom. However, under Article L3133-3, when an ordinary public holiday is not worked, employees with at least three months of service cannot suffer any reduction in their regular monthly salary.

Alsace-Moselle: 13 Statutory Holidays (Droit Local)

The three northeastern departments of Moselle (57), Bas-Rhin (67), and Haut-Rhin (68) benefit from a distinct legal regime inherited from the 1871–1918 German administration and preserved by the law of 1 June 1924. Workers whose workplace is physically situated in Alsace-Moselle are legally entitled to two additional paid public holidays:

• Good Friday (Vendredi Saint): Observed in municipalities with a Protestant temple or a mixed church (3 April 2026), creating an automatic four-day Easter weekend alongside Easter Monday.
• Saint Stephen's Day (Saint-Étienne, 26 December): Observed as a statutory rest day following Christmas Day. In 2026, 26 December falls on a Saturday.

The Whit Monday Solidarity Day (Journée de Solidarité)

Under Article L3137-1 of the Code du travail, all salaried workers in France must contribute seven unpaid working hours annually to finance state autonomy programs for the elderly and disabled (the journée de solidarité). While originally mandated to take place on Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte), French law now allows companies to fulfill this requirement through flexible arrangements (such as working on an ordinary public holiday, giving up an RTT rest day, or spreading seven hours across the year).

No Weekend Rollover (Absence de Report) & Ponts

Unlike the United States or the United Kingdom, French statutory labor law does not grant substitute days off when a public holiday falls on a weekend. If Assumption Day (15 August 2026, Saturday) or All Saints' Day (1 November 2026, Sunday) falls on a weekend, the day off is absorbed and lost, unless a specific collective agreement (convention collective) explicitly provides for a compensatory rest day.

Conversely, when a holiday lands on a Tuesday or Thursday (such as Ascension Day on Thursday, 14 May 2026), companies frequently implement bridge days (faire le pont). Under Article L3133-2, hours lost due to an unworked public holiday cannot be made up, but hours lost to an employer-granted bridge day may be recuperated under strict statutory notice rules.

Banking Clearing Rails (TARGET2) & Euronext Paris

Domestic interbank payments are coordinated through the Banque de France and settled across the Eurosystem's TARGET2 (T2) platform. TARGET2 operates on a unified European calendar closing on only six days per year (New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, and 26 December):

• European Settlement Open on French Holidays: On French national civic holidays—including Victory in Europe Day (8 May), Bastille Day (14 July), and Armistice Day (11 November)—the Eurosystem TARGET2 network and SEPA batch engines remain fully operational. While French retail bank lobbies are locked, automated pan-European commercial wire transfers and SEPA direct credit transactions continue to clear.
• Euronext Paris: The French stock exchange closes for trading on Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May, Christmas Day, and 26 December. However, Euronext Paris remains open for standard equity trading on 8 May, Ascension Day, 14 July, Assumption (15 August), All Saints' Day (1 November), and 11 November.

France Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)

When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in France, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:

Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in France

Because fixed calendar holidays shift one weekday forward between 2026 and 2027 (and movable lunar or liturgical holidays shift by 10 to 15 days), HR teams, payroll processors, and employees in France should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities: