The French word for each month (un mois) is based on the Latin used in the Roman calendar, similar to English, so you’ll find a lot of similarities.
As per the days of the week in French, the months (les mois) are not capitalized either, neither are the seasons.
France also celebrates 8 seasons vs. the standard 4 in the rest of the world. No, we’re pulling your leg.
| janvier | January | Bonne année ! (Happy new year!) can be heard throughout the month of January in France. It is acceptable to continue to extend your good wishes to anyone you have not seen since the previous year. Et bonne santé ! |
| février | February | It’s ski season! The mountainous regions of France are very popular for ski aficionados, even more so considering it’s the first school holiday of the year! It’s also le jour de la Saint-Valentin (Valentine’s Day) – suitable for the home of the language of love? |
| mars | March | Easter (Pâques) usually occurs in the month of March, another opportunity to spend time with your family and of course, eating delicious chocolate treats from master chocolatiers. |
| avril | Avril | The French say “En avril, ne te découvre pas d’un fil” (literally meaning: ‘In April, don’t remove a thread (of your clothing)’) to describe the unpredictable weather. Escape to the warmer South! |
| mai | May | “En mai, fais ce qu’il te plaît” (“Do what you want in May”) – With three public holidays, May is the perfect month for taking time off in France. Everyone’s got their out-of-office setup, and you might as well join them! |
| juin | June | June is famous for festivals, especially la Fête de la Musique, where musicians perform everywhere for everyone to enjoy all around the country. It marks the start of summer for many. |
| juillet | July | July is a big month in France: le 14 juillet (Bastille Day) is the national holiday (la Fête Nationale), celebrated with fireworks (feux d’artifices) and the Firemen’s Ball (le Bal des Pompiers). It’s also the beginning of the summer holidays. People who take their days off in July are called juilletistes. |
| août | August | August is when France gets quiet at work! Many businesses close for the month as their staff take a well-deserved rest. Those who go on holiday in August are called aoûtiens. |
| septembre | September | C’est la rentrée ! School kids go back to school and parents go back to work! University students take it easy until the latter half of September. Business resumes as usual, and people start counting the day until the next summer. |
| octobre | October | October is Halloween for many, though in France the holiday is much less popular. However, it’s time for La Nuit Blanche – a tradition where museums are open all night for one day in October. |
| novembre | November | In November, there are two public holidays: All Saints’ Day (November 1st) and Armistice Day (November 11th). On the third Thursday of November, it’s the Beaujolais Nouveau day for wine aficionados… but we’ll let you on a secret: it’s all marketing, and the good stuff isn’t Nouveau. |
| décembre | December | December means Christmas (Noël)! Christmas markets (marchés de Noël) pop up all over France, as well as temporary ice skating rinks (patinoires). Christmas is traditionally spent with family in France. At the very end of the year (la fin d’année), the French celebrate le Réveillon de l’An (New Year’s Eve) with friends. |
Tips to remember the months of the year in French
A great way to remember the months in French is to change your phone’s language settings to French. You’ll always get to see the date in French, and you’ll have a French calendar in your hands. You’ll also learn some useful (and less useful) words to grow your vocabulary, such as Paramètres and Données privées!
Seasons in French
It’ll also be good for you to know the four seasons in French. We’ll throw that in for free, just for you!
| Le printemps | Spring |
| L’été | Summer |
| L’automne | Autumn |
| L’hiver | Winter |
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