The French for: bank holiday/public holiday/legal holiday is un jour férié

• French organisations and businesses close on public holidays. 
• Although some shopping centres and grocers open for part of the day, the majority of shops do not. 
• Police stations and hospitals do not close.
• When a public holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, it is common practice to "make the bridge" (faire le pont) by taking off the Friday or Monday so creating a very long weekend. When this happens you may find businesses running on short staff or smaller family run business closed for the full period.

National Public Holidays in France 2008

Other holidays in France

• See French government website Service Public
• The Ministère du Travail has information on the law as it affects employment and national public holidays: Click here (in French)

Public Holidays United Kingdom and the United States of America

For the benefit of AngloINFO users doing business with the UK or the US, here are links to the relevant public holidays.

• UK: Department of Trade and Industry
• USA Federal Holidays (click the relevant date for a table of holiday dates) 
• The World: Jours-Feries.com
  
  

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