Bank and public holidays in France: 2017-2018 guide

France celebrates a number of bank and public holidays and they even vary based on what region of the country you’re in. While only one of France’s holidays is a statutory paid holiday — for the rest, it’s up to employers whether workers get the day off.There are 11 days when you can expect banks in France to be closed across the entire country, and several more that only apply to certain regions. If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, you can expect to see banks closed on the following Monday, but if a public holiday falls on a Saturday, no weekday time off is commonly given. Several of France’s public holidays have different dates each year, so it’s important to be aware of the country’s holiday calendar so you don’t get caught needing a bank when they’re all closed.

National holidays in France

There are 13 national holidays in France each year.

• French public holidays: 13
• French bank holidays: 13

Celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in France

Mother’s Day in France, which is held on the last Sunday in May, is very similar to Mother’s Day in other English-speaking countries. Typically, small children will give their mothers poems or handmade crafts. Families often celebrate with a brunch or dinner together, and older children may give their mothers champagne or wine as a gift. It’s common for families to have a cake to celebrate.

Father’s Day in France, which is held on the third Sunday in June, is less formal. The holiday was first introduced for commercial reasons by lighter manufacturer Flaminaire, and children were encouraged to buy lighters for their fathers as gifts. Now, young children will often make paper ties or other crafts for their fathers, and older children will sometimes buy gifts. White roses are often used on Father’s Day to decorate the graves of fathers who have died.

In France, neither Mother’s Day nor Father’s Day is an official public holiday, though they are both widely celebrated throughout the country.

The most important holidays and dates in France

The most commonly celebrated holidays in France are Bastille Day on July 14 and All Saints Day on Nov. 1.

Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789, and is celebrated with fireworks, flag flying and community meals of mussels and fries, often held at town halls.

All Saints Day is a more private holiday. Families generally place flowers on the graves of their loved ones, and then enjoy a large, homemade lunch together, usually spending hours talking over food and wine.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are also very widely celebrated French holidays. Although, in some parts of the country, children receive gifts on St. Nicholas’ Day, which is on Dec. 6, instead of on Christmas.

April Fool’s Day, known in France as Poisson d'Avril, is held on April 1. It isn’t a recognized public holiday, but it is still a traditionally celebrated day in the country. On April Fool’s Day, children will make and decorate paper fish, sometimes even as school projects, and then try to stick them to adults’ backs without being noticed.

List of public holidays in France for 2017

List of public holidays in France for 2018

List of public holidays in France for 2019

Sending money home for the holidays in France?

Need to send money home for the holidays to or from France? Wise may move your money up to 8 times cheaper than using banks, allowing you to send money abroad as fast as possible, for as little as possible. Wise moves money between local accounts, so it never crosses borders. That means there are no international or intermediary fees to pay. Wise uses the actual exchange rate, like you would see on Google, so there are no hidden fees or markups. You just pay a small transfer fee that’s spelled out upfront. It’s easy, fast and secure.

Wise also offers borderless multi-currency accounts, which allow users to manage, send and receive money in a number of global currencies all at once. If you live in one country and get paid in the UK, the US, the EU or Australia, then you can even get bank details to get paid like a local. Borderless account holders will also have access to consumer debit cards beginning in 2018.

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Now that you know France’s public and bank holidays, you’re ready for a low-stress celebration without and surprise visits to a closed bank. Happy holidays!