Happy May Day from the France for Families team!

It is well known that France has many bank holidays throughout the year – 13 in total. The month of May contains 5 of them! So May in France is a wonderful time to visit with all the special events that come with these jours fériés (bank holidays). There is always lots to do for children and adults alike.

The term “faire le pont” means making the bridge and it is means to take a long weekend. So if the holiday falls on a Thursday, the French take the Bridge which means taking the Friday off too so they then have a 4 day weekend. The 5 dates in May are the 1^st, 8^th , 14^th , 24^th  and 25^th May.

Le 1^er mai – La Fête du Travail – Labour Day

This holiday is Labour day and is also called La Fête du Muguet. Le Muguet is lily of the valley and it is picked and given to loved ones. In all the villages there will be stands to purchase your lily of the valley.

Le 8 mai – La Fête de la Victoire / le Jour de la Libération – Victory Day

This holiday is Victory Day and is to celebrate the end of the Second World War and freedom. On this day in 1945, Charles de Gaulle declared the end of the war.

Le 14 mai – Ascension

This is the 40^th day of Easter and marks the day that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven after being crucified.

Le 24 mai – Pentecôte – Pentecost Sunday or Whit Sunday

This is another religious holiday in May and celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension

Le 25 mai – Lundi de Pentecôte –Pentecost Monday or Whit Monday

This day follows Pentecost Sunday. An interesting fact is that the French government decided to remove it from their list of national holidays around 10 years ago.  It was reinstated again after the deaths of many elderly people during a heatwave. The new holiday, called the Day of Solidarity, is to bring awareness to elderly people with disabilities. Some people work for free on this day and donate their wages to charity.

Family Friendly things to do in May 2024

Olympic Flame – 8^th May to 26^th July 2024

The flame will arrive in Marseille on the 8^th May and for two months will travel throughout France on its way to Paris. Take a look at our Olympic Torch Relay blog for more information on the route.

Grand Prix de France – 10^th, 11^th and 12^th May 2024

The Grand Prix de France will be taking place at Le Mans on the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th May 2024 and there is free access for children under 16 when accompanied by an adult with a ticket which makes this budget and family friendly.

Grand Prix de France Moto – Le Mans – 2024

Strawberry Festival – 12^th May 2024

Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne in Correze, Limousin will be celebrating its Fete de la Fraise on the 12^th May 2024 (it is always on the second Sunday of May). The town is famous for making the largest strawberry tart in the world

There are numerous competitions including for the best strawberry and many local  producer’s stalls as well as lots of other family friendly activities such as sporting activities, games, circus schools, craft markets, music and a parade. Also we cannot forget the incredibly enormous strawberry tart which is made each year and is enough to give the thousands who attend this colourful festival a slice!

Nuits des Musees – 18^th May 2024

Back for the 20^th time is the Nuit des Musees on Saturday 18^th May when museums, chateaux, and art galleries  in Paris and the Ile de France region open up free for the night and put on additional events such as family programs, exhibitions, shows, games and discoveries.

Cannes Festival –14^th to 25^th May

77^th edition of the Cannes Festival will be taking place between the 14^th and 25^th May 2024 and although the film festival itself may not be the most family and child friendly, there are still plenty of activities in Cannes and the surrounding region to make it well worth a visit on a family holiday. There are plenty of beautiful beaches and just 20 minutes from the centre of Cannes is the Antibes Land Amusement Park. Lérins Islands are just off the coast and make a fun day trip to visit particularly Sainte-Marguerite where there is some fantastic snorkelling.

Roland Garros – French Open – 20th May to 9th June

The French Open “Roland Garros” is the only grand slam tournament to be held on clay and definitely a fun day out for all of the family.

Monacco Grand Prix – 24^th, 25^th, and 26^th May

If you cannot make it to the French Grand Prix, how about a quick hop across the border on the last weekend of May for the Monacco Grand Prix. This time not free for children but for children there is a discount of  50% on tickets throughout the weekend.

Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2024