Children across France may be grumbling about going back to school on Monday, January 4, 2021, but the government has unveiled its calendar for the following school year.
Holidays in French schools are split into three zones – A, B and C – with holiday dates spread for the winter and spring holidays, while others such as Toussaint, Christmas and summer holidays, are taken at the same time.
The zones cover different education authorities to spread out traffic movements and avoid holiday crowding. They are as follows:
Zone A – Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Poitiers
Zone B – Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Caen, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Rouen, Strasbourg
Zone C – Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, Versailles
At the end of the summer holidays, which start on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, pupils heading back to school for the start of the 2021/22 year return on Thursday, September 2. Teachers will return on Wednesday, September 1, to prepare for classes.
Toussaint (for all zones):
Break-up: Saturday October 23, (after classes, if pupils are in school on Saturdays; otherwise holidays begin at the end of the school day Friday, October 22) | Return: Monday, November 8
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Christmas (for all zones):
Break-up: Saturday, December 18, 2021 | Return: Monday, January 3, 2022
Winter holidays - note Zone B breaks up first
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(Zone A) Break-up: Saturday, February 12, 2022 | Return: Monday, February 28
(Zone B) Break-up: Saturday, February 5, 2022 | Return: Monday, February 21
(Zone C) Break-up: Saturday, February 19, 2021 | Return: Monday, March 7
Spring (Easter) holidays - note Zone B breaks up first
(Zone A) Break-up: Saturday, April 16, 2022 | Return: Monday, May 2
(Zone B) Break-up: Saturday, April 9, 2022 | Return: Monday, April 25
(Zone C) Break-up: Saturday, April 23, 2022 | Return: Monday, May 9
Summer holidays
All schools break up at the end of classes on Thursday, July 7, 2022.
Different holiday dates are planned for schools in Corsica, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Reunion Island, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.
Public holidays in 2021
Friday January 1
Monday April 5
Saturday May 1
Saturday 8 May
Thursday May 13
Monday 24 May
Wednesday July 14
Sunday August 15
Monday November 1
Thursday 11 November
Saturday 25 December
