May Day is May 1, and is France’s Labor Day. So if you are in Paris on May 1, expect banks, shops, the post office and some restaurants to be closed. You might even get lucky and catch a May Day parade!

May 8 is another holiday, marking V-E day, or the end of World War II. Expect much of the same closings as May 1.

And finally, May 25 is the Ascension Day. As this is a religious holiday and not a state holiday, you will find more shops and restaurants open, although some may be closed to commemorate the day.