Why is November 1 a bank holiday in France, what is it traditional to do and are shops open?

The Toussaint bank holiday on November 1 sees many shops and services shut as people visit cemeteries to remember their loved ones for the fête des morts, although the day of the dead actually falls on November 2. 

The name Toussaint is an abbreviation of tous les saints or All Saints’ Day, which is a Catholic holiday celebrating all Christian saints. 

However, the celebration today is widely associated with remembering the dead rather than celebrating saints.

Catholics mark the day by attending a church service and many go on to celebrate the bank holiday by eating with family and friends and visiting graveyards where they place chrysanthemums in memory of loved ones.

It is the first of two November public holidays in France, as Armistice Day falls on November 11, and has remained a public holiday in secular France despite the obvious religious connections.

Are the shops open on November 1 in France?

In 2025, Toussaint falls on a Saturday, and in 2026 will fall on a Sunday.

Unlike in other countries such as the UK, where bank holidays are moved if falling on a weekend, in France a public holiday that falls on Saturday or Sunday remains in place.

It means that workers who would usually receive a day off (usually office workers, those working in a small store, etc) do not benefit from this and 'lose' the day, unless their company has arrangements to move it to another day.

It also means that public services, that usually would have shut on the day, will be closed anyway due to it being the weekend, with public sector workers likewise not benefitting from an extra day of holiday.

For other stores such as supermarkets, clothing stores, restaurants etc, opening hours are determined on a case-by-case, rather than a national basis. 

In France, May 1 is the only public holiday companies must give as a paid day off for workers (for all others, they can ask employees to work in exchange for time off in lieu or extra pay). 

Many opt to open on public holidays due to increased potential customer numbers, but this depends on worker availability, location, etc.

The major supermarket chains are likely to be open, albeit with many operating a shorter day. 

For others, including DIY stores and garden centres, you should check the individual shop’s opening times online - Google is usually good for this - or call them to make sure they are open before visiting.

Local shops are more likely to be closed, however many bakeries will be open in the morning. 

In larger cities, stores may remain open at their usual hours, particularly if in a shopping centre or on a high-street.