Labor Day, May 8 commemorations and AscensionDay... every year in May, there are a number of public holidays to keep many French people happy. But don't forget Pentecost either. Celebrated by Christians 50 days after Easter, this religious feast commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit among the apostles. This year, Whit Monday falls on May 20, 2024.
As with Easter, Pentecost is celebrated on a Sunday and continues the following day, and has been since the 4th century. The law of March 8, 1886 officially declared Whit Monday a public holiday.
But things have changed since then. In the wake of the 2003 heatwave, which claimed more than 15,000 lives in France, Jean-Pierre Raffarin's government decided to abolish the public holiday status of the day. The minister thus transformed Whit Monday into a day of solidarity"in favor of the autonomy of the elderly or disabled". The consequence? Whit Monday remains a"public holiday but not a day off". In concrete terms, employees work on this day, but are not paid.
Then, in 2008, another change. Whit Monday became a public holiday again. The government then gave employers the choice of cancelling a day off or offering the day to their employees. In France, around a third of employees work on Whit Monday. What about you?
What to do in Paris and the Ile-de-France region on Whit Monday, May 20
You're lucky: this Monday, May 20, 2024, Whit Monday, you're not working? So, what are you going to do on your day off? Exhibitions, a concert, a stroll, a terrace restaurant... Here's the program of possibilities for this day. [Read more]
Every year, Whit Monday offers the French a three-day weekend! Would you like to take advantage of it to do some shopping? Discover the list of shopping centers open in Paris and Île-de-France on this public holiday, Monday May 20, 2024. [Read more]
Whit Monday is a public holiday in France, so you can take advantage of the long weekend to visit all the museums in the capital! Find out which museums and monuments are open this Monday, May 20, 2024 in Paris and the Île-de-France region. [Read more]
What are we doing this Pentecost weekend in Paris, this Saturday 18, Sunday 19 and Monday 20 May 2024? Easy: we're taking advantage of this long weekend to discover the most beautiful exhibitions of the moment. Here's a small selection of things to do this Pentecost weekend. [Read more]
Not sure what to do over the Whitsun weekend? We've got the answer: many plays are performed over the weekend! The perfect opportunity to see a play on a Sunday evening and sleep in on Monday morning. [Read more]
What to do in Paris and the Ile-de-France region on Whit Monday, May 20
Stores and shopping centers open on Whit Monday 2024 in Paris and the Ile-de-France region
Whit Monday: museums and monuments open this Monday, May 20, bank holiday in Paris
Pentecost weekend: 10 great exhibitions to discover in Paris on May 18, 19 and 20, 2024
Pentecost weekend: 10 plays to see in Paris over the long weekend
