Calendar France 2022

National holidays, Celebrations, & Cultural Events Calendar in France 2022

France counts many national holidays, wonderful cultural events organised nationwide, and just like any other country in the world celebrates mothersday, fathersday, grandparents etc. Summer months on French motorways are also quite notorious! As a resident of France or as a tourist, it's difficult to keep it all straight! That's why at inthevendee.com we have created a handy **PRINTABLE** guide to those important days you want to be aware of. You needed this in your life, didn't you? We did!

National holidays, Celebrations, & Cultural Events France 2022

DATE DAY 2022 EVENT IN FRENCH WHAT IT MEANS
JANUARY
1 Jan Saturday New Year's Day Nouvel An Public holiday
6 Jan Thursday Epiphany Jour des Trois Rois Enjoy a traditional galette
FEBRUARY
2 Feb Wednesday Candlemas Fête de la Chandeleur Day to eat Crêpes
14 Feb Monday Valentine's Day St Valentin Day of romance and love
MARCH
1 Mar Tuesday Fat Tuesday & International Pancake day Mardis Gras Carnival and eat Crêpe or pancakes
6 Mar Sunday Grandmother's Day Fête des Grands-mères Celebration
20 Mar Sunday March Equinox L'équinoxe de mars / Printemps Spring Season begins
27 Mar Sunday Daylight Saving Time starts l'heure d'été Spring FORWARD / Daylight Saving Time
March 28-March 31 European Craft Days Journées Européennes des Métiers d’Art An event unique to France to showcase professional training institutions in the professions of art across all French regions and territories. It shows contemporary know-how, inherited from yesterday, reinvented today and mastered by talented professionals, through open-doors and workshops and other events.
APRIL
1 April-4 April European Craft Days Journées Européennes des Métiers d’Art An event unique to France to showcase professional training institutions in the professions of art across all French regions and territories. It shows contemporary know-how, inherited from yesterday, reinvented today and mastered by talented professionals, through open-doors and workshops and other events.
16 Apr Friday Good Friday Vendredi Saint observed at home: eat fish (no meat day)
17 Apr Sunday Easter Sunday Pâques Celebration
18 Apr Monday Easter Monday Lundi de Pâques Public holiday
22 Apr Friday Earth Day Jour De La Terre Celebrate Mother Earth (volunteer opportunities etc.)
MAY
1 May Sunday Labor Day / May Day Fête du Travail Public holiday 
8 May Sunday WWII Victory Day Fête de la Victoire 1945 Public holiday. Charles de Gaulle announced the end of World War II
21 May Saturday Night of the Museums Nuit des Musées European Cultural event. In France, the museums are open for free until 1AM
21 May Saturday
European Heritage Days of the Windmills
Journées Européennes des Moulins
European Cultural event. Visit windmills, many privately owned and get a tour. (May not be free but inexpensive)
22 May Sunday
26 May Thursday Ascension Day Jour de l'Ascension Public holiday
29 May Sunday Mother's Day Fête des Mères Celebration
JUNE
4 June Saturday
Day of the Gardens
Journées des Jardins
French cultural event in which public, protected and stunning private gardens are open to admire for free. Many with tours.
5 June Sunday
5 June Sunday Whit Sunday Pentecôte Celebration
6 June Monday Whit Monday Pentecôte Monday Public holiday
19 Jun Sunday Father's Day Fête des Pères Celebration
21 Jun Tuesday Celebrating music (World Music Day) Fête de la Musique French cultural event celebrating world music with free concerts all over France and in almost every important village. Musicians and bands volunteer.
21 Jun Tuesday June Solstice Solstice de juin / l'Eté Summer Season begins
JULY
14 Jul Thursday Bastille Day Fête Nationale Public holiday
AUGUST
15 Aug Monday Assumption of Mary Assomption Public holiday
SEPTEMBER
17 Sep Saturday
European Heritage Days
Journées Européennes du Patrimoine
European cultural event 3rd weekend of September. Visit historical monuments, chateaux, abbeys etc of which some are not usually open to the public (privately owned) for guided tours (many are free, some charge minimal entry fee)
18 Sep Sunday
23 Sep Friday September Equinox L'équinoxe de septembre/ Automne Autumn Season begins
OCTOBER
2 Oct Sunday Grandfather's Day Fête des Grands-Pères Celebration
30 Oct Sunday Daylight Saving Time ends Fin de l'heure d'été FALL BACK / Daylight Saving Time
31 Oct Monday Halloween Halloween Celebration
NOVEMBER
1 Nov Tuesday All Saints' Day Toussaint Public holiday
2 Nov Wednesday All Souls' Day Jour des âmes Remember loved ones who have passed away
11 Nov Friday Armistice Day Armistice de 1918 Public holiday
DECEMBER
21 Dec Wednesday December Solstice Solstice de décembre / l'Hiver Winter Season begins
24 Dec Saturday Christmas Eve Noël soir Evening of Celebration with family and/ or friends
25 Dec Sunday Christmas Day Noël Public holiday
31 Dec Saturday New Year's Eve Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre or Sylvestre Evening of Celebration with family and/ or friends
SUMMER TRAFFIC ALERT
In Southern Directions
Fridays and Saturdays from June 25 through 13 August 2022
Orange or red on all routes
***Black Saturdays*** 
30th July and 6th August 2022 everywhere
Saturdays 9th,  16th, 23th July 2022
Red on all routes
Saturday 6th August 2022
Red on all routes
In Northern Directions
Friday - Saturday from  July 8th to August 27th 2022
orange or red all routes
Weekend 29th - 30th July 2022
 orange all routes
Saturday 6th August 2022
red all routes
Weekend Friday 12th August through Monday 15th August 2022
orange everywhere BUT red in direction Rhone valley - Languedoc
Friday 19th, Sunday 21st. and Monday 22nd August 2022
orange everywhere
Saturday 20th August 2022
red on all routes
Friday 26th August and Sunday 28th August 2022
orange everywhere
Saturday 27th August 2022
red on all routes (last three weekends of August are the worst going north)

2022 Guide to French National Holidays, Celebrations, and Cultural Events, and summer traffic information ©inthevendee.com

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