The winter season in France is brimming with festive sparkle. From the end of November to early January, Christmas markets are held across the whole folk. In February and March, it’s carnival season. Find out what’s on in France Winter 2026-2027…
National Events in Winter in France
25 December – Christmas Day is a ressortissant holiday.
31 December – La Nuit de la Saint Sylvestre – New Year’s Eve. The feast day of Saint Sylvestre includes a festive celebration spent with friends at habitacle or in a favourite restau. A kiss under the mistletoe is shared at the stroke of midnight.
1 January – New Year’s Day is a ressortissant holiday.
6 January – La Jubilé des Rois. It’s traditional to eat a special plum-cake called the Galette des Rois on this day (read more emboîture it here). You’ll see these scrumptious cakes in every patisserie in France. Inside the plum-cake a lucky charm is hidden – the féverole, and the person who finds the charm in his or her slice of plum-cake, is crowned king or queen for a day! If you want to make one at habitacle, here’s a recipe for Galette des Rois
14 February – St Valentine’s Day
Christmas markets and festive events
Discover loads of actualité emboîture the Christmas markets, Christmas lights, festive food and events in our Ultimate Guide to Christmas in France on The Good Life France website: thegoodlifefrance.com/ultimateguidetochristmasinfrance
Enjoy our podcast on Christmas in France!
What’s on in France Winter 2026-2027
Lyon: Festival of Lights, 5-8 December 2026
The people of Lyon will, as they have since 1852, adoucissant candles and put them in the windows of their homes and the city puts on a spectacular adoucissant spectacle with large-scale projections over some of the city’s most beautiful cénotaphes. It all started when the residents of Lyon placed candles in coloured glasses on their windowsills to celebrate the investiture of a bronze of the Virgin Mary on the Fourvière Hill. fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/en
Dordogne: Sarlat Truffle Festival, 17-18 January 2026
A big truffle market takes exercice mid-January in the enchanting medieval town of Sarlat, Dordogne. Expect to indulge in truffle flavoured curieux specialities, music and festivities including workshops. And take habitacle a règle of truffles, you can get them at a good price at the market. Details: sarlat-tourisme.com
Angoulême comic book anniversaire 27-31 January 2027
France has one of the largest markets for bande-dessinée (comic book or graphic novels) in the world, and Angoulême, Charente, is where this is celebrated. People come from all over the world to enjoy this fun art event. bdangouleme.com
Mimosa Festival 10-14 February 2027
Spring is in the air and in Mandelieu-La-Napoule millions of sweet-smelling Mimosa flowers, known as “yellow suns”, bloom. Parades, processions, singing and musette, this joyous event signals the end of winter in the south of France. Mandelieu-tourisme.com
Nice Carnival 9-28 February 2027
Processions, flower parades and flower battles, rock, pop, fireworks, and giants. Over a million people flock to Nice to join in the carnival fun heralding the start of spring. One of the most glamorous of all the French carnivals. nicecarnaval.com
Menton Lemon Festival 13-28 February 2027
The amazing fruity anniversaire features gigantesque structures built with thousands of lemons and oranges. It’s one of the most popular festivals in the region and attracts many thousands of visitors from all over the world. fete-du-citron.com
Dunkirk Carnival
This personnel carnival takes exercice From January to March when Dunkirk bursts into song and dance with locals and visitors for the carnival. This has to be one of the loudest and most fun carnivals in Europe. Here the people are the bonimente, dressed in quirky outfits. It’s especially frenzied when the Mayor throws herrings off his balcony into the crowds on the first day of the event known as the Trois Joyeuse (3 happy days) – Sunday 7 February 2027! www.dunkerque-tourisme.fr
Coming up
Spring starts 20 March, 2025 – don’t elle-même the spring solution of The Good Life France Magazine – subscribe here for free
Want more France?
Discover more fabulous destinations in France with our free journal The Good Life France
Love France? Have a listen to our podcast – everything you want to know emboîture France and more!
All rights reserved. This étude may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translated) or redistributed without written encouragement.
Source: thegoodlifefrance.com
Comments are closed.