New Year's Day in France
New Year's Day, or le Jour de l’An, falls on 1 January. French law lists it as a public holiday, but whether employees have the day off depends on workplace or industry agreements and, if there is no agreement, the employer’s decision.[1]
A legal holiday, with workplace-specific time off
The Labour Code names 1 January among France’s legal public holidays. It distinguishes that status from the rules for taking the day off: an agreement sets which holidays are non-working, and if there is no agreement, the employer decides. The Code separately makes 1 May a mandatory non-working holiday, so New Year’s Day is not automatically a day off for every employee.[1]
The Code also says that hours lost when a public holiday is not worked cannot be made up later. For employees who meet the statutory seniority conditions, time off on a public holiday cannot reduce pay, subject to the law’s stated exceptions.[1] There is no general statutory substitute day simply because a public holiday coincides with a usual rest day, although a workplace agreement may provide for one.[2]
Why the year begins on 1 January
The date has a specific place in France’s civil calendar history. The Bibliothèque nationale de France records that Charles IX’s Edict of Roussillon, promulgated in 1564, directed that the year begin on 1 January throughout France.[3] The rule standardized the start of the civil year across the kingdom.
The custom of giving New Year presents is older than the modern holiday calendar. An education resource from France’s Ministry of Education traces étrennes to Roman New Year offerings and notes that the term was widely used into the twentieth century before the broader word cadeau became more common.[4]
Customs and practical planning
Étrennes are a historically documented New Year custom in France: small gifts given around the turn of the year. The National Museum of the Châteaux of Malmaison and Bois-Préau describes the custom in its collection notes and documents New Year gifts at the French court, including gifts exchanged in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.[5] Customs vary, so this history should not be taken as a claim that every household follows the practice.
For visitors, the holiday’s legal status does not by itself tell you whether a particular shop, bank, office, or transport service will open. Check the relevant establishment or transport operator’s holiday hours before making plans. The Labour Code sets employment rules for public holidays; it does not provide a national opening timetable for these services.[1]
New Year's Day in France: FAQs
When is New Year's Day in France?
It is observed on 1 January. The Labour Code lists that date as a legal public holiday.[1]
Does everyone in France get the day off?
No. The day is a public holiday, but workplace or industry agreements determine which holidays are non-working; if there is no agreement, the employer decides.[1]
Is there a substitute day if 1 January falls on a usual day off?
There is no general statutory right to an extra day off for that reason. A workplace agreement may set a different rule.[2]
Are shops and public transport open?
Opening and service schedules are not set by the Labour Code. Check the specific shop or transport operator’s holiday information before travelling.[1]
Sources and references
Sources used for New Year's Day in France:
- Section 1 : Dispositions générales (Articles L3133-1 à L3133-3-2)- Légifrance
- Cour de cassation, civile, Chambre sociale, 18 janvier 2012, 09-72.911, Inédit- Légifrance
- Notice de titre conventionnel « Édit de Roussillon (1564) »- Bibliothèque nationale de France
- Les fêtes- Odysseum, ministère de l’Éducation nationale
- Des étrennes à Malmaison- Musée national des châteaux de Malmaison et de Bois-Préau