All Saints' Day in Réunion

A legal holiday on a fixed date

The French Labour Code lists La Toussaint among the legal public holidays. Government guidance includes November 1 among the holidays observed overseas, including Réunion. The date is fixed, rather than being set by a weekday rule.[1][2]

A public holiday does not automatically mean every employee has the day off. For most employees in the private sector, whether a holiday is non-working depends on a collective agreement or, where there is none, the employer. If a non-working public holiday falls on a usual day off such as Sunday, the law does not generally provide an extra day off; an agreement can set more favorable terms.[2]

The rules do not list a substitute day when November 1 falls on a weekend. Réunion also has a separate public holiday on December 20 for the commemoration of the abolition of slavery; that local holiday is distinct from All Saints’ Day.[2]

The day’s religious meaning

In Catholic observance, All Saints’ Day honors the saints together. The Holy See describes it as a celebration of those who lived as witnesses to Christ and connects it with the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed on November 2. The two observances are related, but they are not the same day.[4]

Cemeteries and flowers

In Réunion, cemetery visits and grave flowers are a well-documented part of the season. The regional health agency says cemeteries are especially busy around Toussaint, as flowers in vases are renewed and potted plants are watered. It advises visitors to use damp sand in vases instead of water and to remove saucers from pots to limit mosquito breeding.[3]

Local arrangements can make the observance visible beyond the cemetery gates. Saint-André’s municipal notice describes flower markets by cemeteries and temporary traffic and parking restrictions for the Toussaint period. This is a town-level example, so visitors should check with their own commune for local arrangements.[5]

What to expect as a visitor

Plan errands with the public-holiday rules in mind: government offices and many businesses may close, but opening hours depend on the service and employer. The official guidance says the holiday is not automatically a non-working day for private-sector employees, so it does not support assuming every shop or service will be closed.[1][2]

If visiting a cemetery, expect a busy period around November 1 and look for local notices about access, markets, parking or traffic. Flower sellers may operate near cemeteries, as the Saint-André notice illustrates; specific locations and arrangements vary by commune.[3][5]