If you’re planning a holiday in the Pyrénées-Orientales in 2019, (or long term planning for the future), do bear in mind the dates of the numerous ‘jours fériés’ (bank holidays) during which some or all shops and businesses may be closed.
New Year’s Day (Jour de l’An)
1st January
Good Friday (Vendredi Saint)
19th March
Easter Sunday (Dimanche de Pâques)
21st April
Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)
22nd April
May Day (La Fête du Travail)
1st May
VE Day – WWII Victory Day (Fête de la Victoire)
8th May
Ascension Day (Le Jour de l’Ascension – 40 days after Easter Sunday)
30th May
Whit Sunday (Pentecôte)
9th June
Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
10th June
Bastille Day (La Fête nationale de la Bastille)
14th July
Assumption (l’Assomption)
15th August
La Toussaint (All Saint’s Day)
1st November
Anniversary of the 1918 armistice which signalled the end of the First World War (Anniversaire de l’armistice de 1918)
11th November
“Faire le pont”
Where a Bank holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, many small businesses will ‘faire le pont’ (make a bridge) and take Friday or Monday off too to ;make a long weekend. This rarely applies to large shops, supermarkets etc, many of whom no longer close for most of the public holidays.
