The most important holidays in France: the list and photos

France is one of the most mysterious and romantic countries, therefore crowds of tourists here aspire. Most girls would like to spend their honeymoon here. Cozy streets, beautiful landscapes, French cuisine, ancient castles and the legendary Eiffel Tower - what could be more interesting? But in order to get the maximum pleasure, it is worth to come to France during the main national holidays and festivals.

Public holidays

The French honor their history, traditions and culture, so many solemn dates are timed to the events that took place in their country: Bastille Day, Reconciliation Day (about the end of the First World War), Victory over fascism. Consider the official holidays in France:

• St. Sylvester's Day, or New Year's Eve. Traditionally it is celebrated from December 31 to January 1. Although this holiday is considered family, most French people prefer to celebrate it in the circle of close friends, gathering in some night institution, club, restaurant or in a cafe. The New Year table is decorated with a mistletoe plant, which, according to popular beliefs, brings good luck.

• Labor Day in France, as in Russia, is celebrated on May 1. The same date refers to the Lily of the Valley Festival. It is accepted to give bouquets from these flowers, as they are considered a symbol of happiness.
• Day of liberation from fascist occupation. They celebrate May 8. In France, he declared an official day off. During the ceremony, wreaths are placed by statesmen, on the grave of the Unknown Soldier. For the celebration of the solemn date, veterans who have survived are arriving. The President of the country exchanges handshakes with each of them.
• The event, which was the beginning of the Great French Revolution - the capture of the prison fortress of the Bastille in 1789. This holiday became national. The day of the capture of the Bastille is celebrated on July 14. On the scale of the celebration with this date, even the New Year can not be compared. A huge number of tourists come to France to participate in this celebration.

• All Saints' Day. They celebrate November 1. This is a religious holiday of the faithful of the Catholic Church. On this day, the French say prayers for deceased relatives in the church, after which they go to their burial place. At the cemetery, burning candles are put on the grave and order is put there.
• The most important holiday in France is Christmas. Since most of the inhabitants of the country are Catholics, this date is celebrated on December 25. The French are thoroughly preparing for it: decorate the premises, decorate the Christmas tree, and buy gifts. This time is the best time for a romantic trip to Paris.

Holidays dedicated to reading, music and film

The French appreciate art very much, so it's not surprising that they have a reading holiday. In France, he appeared not so long ago. The first reading day was in 1989. The event was well received by the public, therefore it was held every year on October 16. The initiator of the celebration was the Ministry of Culture. Within the framework of the event, a three-day program is planned, which includes:

• Book fairs;
• Exhibitions and presentations of new publications;
• Writing evenings, where fans can communicate with authors of books;
• Seminars and scientific conferences.

France is the only country in the world in which such a mass literary celebration takes place. Gift on this day, of course, serve as a book. They are presented to each other or sent to public libraries.

The holidays of France have a special color, but some of them can boast of worldwide fame. It's about the Cannes Film Festival, which is devoted to filmmaking. Celebration lasts for 10 days. The resort town of Cannes during these days takes a lot of guests, among them a huge number of stars of cinema and even more fans who want to see their idols. About 10 thousand professional accredited specialists are involved in the contest. Events that take place at the festival are covered by more than 4000 media workers. The time of celebration is the spring period.

The holiday of music in France is considered to be June 21 - the day of the summer solstice. Jacques Langroux - the French minister - suggested in 1982 to introduce this cultural event. Since then, every year there has been a bright celebration of the Day of Music. It sounds from everywhere: on streets, in houses and apartments, in musical institutions. Orchestra parades are held, in which I participate both famous artists and amateurs. The celebration lasts until the morning, so even at night you can hear beautiful melodies. Musicians perform works of different genres - from classics to contemporary stage music.

Holiday of young wine

France to the whole world is famous for its winemaking, so it's not surprising that a separate holiday is dedicated to the drink. On the night of November 15, residents of the country celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau. The holiday in France initially appeared exclusively on a commercial basis in the middle of the 20th century. The young wine, which was produced in the province of Beaujolais from the Gamet, was inferior in quality to products produced in Bordeaux and Burgundy. The cunning trick helped the Beaujolais Nouveau manufacturers to get out of this difficult situation. Winemakers founded a holiday, which is celebrated in November. It is dedicated to the celebration of a new wine harvest. The invented marketing move was very successful, since then the Winemaker's Day is celebrated not only by the French, but also by other nations and countries.

In contrast to Burgundy wine and bordeaux, young Beaujolais can not be stored for a long time, but it is during this period that it has the finest flavor and rich taste qualities.

Gastronomic Festivals

French cuisine is famous for its refinement and refinement, and the inhabitants of the country are sophisticated gourmets, so it is not surprising that there are various gastronomic festivals of France. The most popular of them are:

• Feast of chestnuts. It is celebrated in October - 20 numbers. The aroma of roasted chestnuts spreads to all areas of the city and beckons to those who wish to try this delicacy. Preparation of treats are done right on the street. On this day, this dish is considered the most important.
• The festival of lemons - every year is held in the town of Mentone. Hundreds of thousands of guests and tourists take part in the celebration. In these places, thanks to the climatic conditions, excellent lemons are grown. To decorate the city for the holiday, it will take about 130 tons of various citrus. From oranges, lemons and grapefruits create bizarre scenery in the form of fairy-tale characters, castles and trees. The festival is held on February 17.

Religious holidays

The main religion of France is Catholicism. Many French people visit churches, especially when the main Christian dates are celebrated. The main religious holidays in France are:

• Christmas is on the 25th of December.
• Catholic Easter - is celebrated in the spring, as a rule, falls for the period from 22.03 to 25.04.
• Assumption of the Virgin Mary - August 15.
• All Saints' Day is November 1.

Initially, at the heart of the celebration of Christmas lay the winter solstice, which lasted 12 days. In modern France the eve of the holiday is St. Nicholas Day (6.12), and the celebration lasts until the day of Epiphany (6.01), the second name is the Feast of the Kings. In France, national traditions and culture are honored, so it will be interesting for tourists to attend mass events timed to solemn dates.

Easter, though it is a purely Christian holiday, however, even non-believers celebrate it. On this day it is customary to give gifts to relatives and friends. For most of the French, this holiday is associated with the arrival of spring and a good mood. The symbol of Easter in many countries of Europe is the rabbit. According to the pagan legend, Estra - the goddess of spring - bewitched the bird, and she turned into a rabbit, but even after the transformation she carried eggs. A month before the celebration of the celebration, French shops are filled with chocolate figurines in the form of rabbits, eggs and males. Early in the morning, at the onset of Easter, adults hide eggs from chocolate in the garden, and the children are looking for them, collecting them in a basket and eating this delicacy for breakfast.

Flower Holidays

France is permeated with romanticism, and flowers, as you know, are a symbol of love. Not only one holiday is dedicated to these plants in the country:

• Day of mimosa. It is celebrated on the 10th of February. It symbolizes the end of the cold period - winter. The flower parade takes place in the city of San Rafael, and every year the holiday gets more and more wide-ranging. It was first celebrated in the early 1920s. In the procession participate vehicles, decorated with the symbol of the holiday - mimosa. On this day, various events are held: the parade, the Miss Mimosa contest, the fair, the exhibition.

• Floral festivals of France are held on a special scale, for example, the Orchid Festival is held in Tarascon on February 18. It presents a huge variety of shades and forms of a flower. From orchids perform compositions in combination with waterfalls and fountains. The festival is simply irresistible due to the light effects.
• Lily of the valley day is held on May 1. On this holiday it is customary to give bouquets of these delicate flowers to each other.

A holiday overshadowed by tragedy

Holidays in France collect a huge number of tourists and local residents. One of the most large-scale events is the Day of the Bastille, which is celebrated on July 14. Even the celebration of the New Year is incomparable with what is happening in France on this day. The events that took place in 1789 laid the foundation for the beginning of the Revolution and led to the removal of the royal family from power. During the storming of the Bastille, the rebellious Parisians liberated seven prisoners.

In 2016, in the midst of the festivities timed to coincide with the solemn date, a terrorist attack occurred on the embankment of Nice. A terrible misfortune happened in France at the holiday: the truck, driven by a middle-aged man, drove into a crowd of tourists. He continued to move until he was shot and killed by police officers. In the course of the terrorist attack, 80 people were killed, and about 100 received injuries of varying degrees.

Famous carnivals and festivals in France

The French like to participate in various carnivals and festivals, and as you know, they are very numerous. Here is the list of the most popular celebrations:

• In the second half of January, the festival of the film "Zheod", based on the technology "Omnimaks", is held annually in Paris.
• In the Principality of Monaco, a circus festival takes place every year in mid-January. The program involves famous circus troupes, who are fighting for the Golden Clown Award. Celebration lasts a week.
• Carnival in Nice is one of the oldest in the country. It originated in the distant 1294 year. Carry out the carnival on February 11. The procession consists of 20 platforms, decorated with fresh flowers, on which women and men are sitting in luxurious apparels. The festival is accompanied by concerts and fireworks.

Important dates in the history of France

In the history of France there are dates that have had a significant impact on the political situation in the country. The victory over fascist Germany is celebrated on May 8 by the French. On this day, the country's officials honor the participants in the fighting, laying wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The holiday is declared a state weekend.

The capture of the Bastille is celebrated on July 14. On this day a military parade is held on the Champs-Elysees. The ceremony starts at 10am. The movement is carried out from Etoile Square to the Louvre, where the military is welcomed by the head of state. At the end of the festival, the sky lights up a large firework display.

The legendary heroine of France, Joan of Arc, was raised in the face of the saints in 1920, according to the decree of Pope Benedict XV. She is the patroness of the country and the military. Saint's Day is celebrated on May 30.

St. Valentine's Day

Listing the holidays of France, do not forget the Valentine's Day. It falls on the middle of February - 14th. The French have a special charm and know how to make unforgettable declarations of love. On this day lovers exchange valentines and other gifts, symbolizing tender feelings. Cafes and restaurants are crowded on this day. At the tables are sitting lovers couples holding hands. This day is the best to make a sentence of your spouse. An interesting fact: it was the French who came up with love quatrains-congratulations to write on valentines.