Calendar dates and holidays
Dates de calendrier et jours fériés
- The basic dates and holidays
- How to form the date?
Learn to talk about important calendar dates and holidays in French, including expressions like "le 14 juillet" (Bastille Day), "Noël" (Christmas), and "le 1er janvier" (New Year's Day).
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (10) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Sort these words according to their relation either with holidays or with the months of the year.
Jours fériés
Mois de l'année
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Le mois
The month
2
Se souvenir
To remember
3
Le calendrier
The calendar
4
Célébrer
To celebrate
5
La journée
The day
Exercice 5: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- Say the name of the holiday and it's date. (Say the name of the holiday and it's date.)
- What are your plans for the holidays? With whom are you going to spend it? (What are your plans for the holidays? With whom are you going to spend it?)
- What day is today? (What day is today?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Noël est le vingt-cinq décembre. Christmas is the twenty-fifth of December. |
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Les vacances d'été sont en juillet et août. Summer holiday is in July and august. |
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Pâques tombe toujours à une date différente. Easter is always on another date. |
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Je prévois de célébrer Noël avec ma famille. I plan to celebrate christmas with my family. |
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Je vais célébrer le Nouvel An avec mes amis. I am going to celebrate new year's with my friends. |
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Aujourd'hui, c'est le quatorze février 2025. Today is the forteenth of february of 2025. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. La fête ______ toujours le 14 juillet en France.
(The celebration ______ always starts on July 14th in France.)2. Les célébrations ______ tôt le matin le 14 juillet.
(The celebrations ______ early in the morning on July 14th.)3. Nous ______ la journée de travail après la pause café.
(We ______ the workday after the coffee break.)4. Elle ______ à célébrer Noël dès le 24 décembre.
(She ______ starts celebrating Christmas on December 24th.)Exercise 8: Holidays and Important Dates in the Family
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Commencer - Start
Présent
- je commence
- tu commences
- il/elle commence
- nous commençons
- vous commencez
- ils/elles commencent
Célébrer - Celebrate
Présent
- je célèbre
- tu célèbres
- il/elle célèbre
- nous célébrons
- vous célébrez
- ils/elles célèbrent
Se souvenir - Remember
Présent
- je me souviens
- tu te souviens
- il/elle se souvient
- nous nous souvenons
- vous vous souvenez
- ils/elles se souviennent
Exercise 9: Comment former la date?
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: How to form the date?
Show translation Show answersLe 11 novembre, le 1er septembre, le 6 janvier, Le 1er janvier, le 25 décembre, le 15 août, le 1er avril, Le 14 juillet
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Commencer to begin Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') je commence | I begin |
| tu commences | you begin |
| il/elle/on commence | he/she/one begins |
| nous commençons | We begin |
| vous commencez | You begin |
| ils/elles commencent | They begin |
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Introduction to Calendar Dates and Holidays in French
This lesson is designed for beginners (A1 level) learning French. It focuses on how to talk about dates, especially important dates like holidays and family celebrations. You will learn key vocabulary and expressions to recognize and discuss important dates such as "le 14 juillet" (Bastille Day), "Noël" (Christmas), and "le 1er janvier" (New Year's Day). The lesson also covers how to form dates correctly in French sentences.
Key Vocabulary: Dates and Holidays
- le 14 juillet – Bastille Day (French National Holiday)
- Noël – Christmas, celebrated on le 25 décembre
- le 1er janvier – New Year's Day
- la rentrée scolaire – the first day of school, usually le 1er septembre
- la galette des rois – a special cake eaten on le 6 janvier
How to Form Dates in French
Dates in French typically follow this order: le + day number + month. For example:
Aujourd'hui, c'est le 14 juillet.
You include the definite article "le" before the day, and months are not capitalized in French.
Examples:
- Nous célébrons Noël le 25 décembre en famille.
- Le 1er janvier, on se souhaite une bonne année.
- La rentrée scolaire a lieu le 1er septembre chaque année.
Useful Expressions to Discuss Dates and Holidays
- "Quelle est la date aujourd’hui ?" – What is the date today?
- "Nous sommes le 5 mai 2024." – It is May 5, 2024.
- "On fête Noël en famille." – We celebrate Christmas with family.
- "Le jeudi 25 décembre 2022 est un jour férié important." – Thursday, December 25, 2022, is an important public holiday.
Important Notes About French Date Usage
In French, the day precedes the month, unlike in English American format where the month often comes first. For instance, "May 5th" in English translates to "le 5 mai" in French. French months are always written in lowercase. Also, the word "le" is necessary before dates when stating a specific day.
Holidays are often referred to with their date before the name, such as "le 14 juillet" for Bastille Day. Knowing these structures will help you understand calendars, make appointments, and discuss holidays naturally.
Verb Highlights Related to Holidays
This lesson also introduces verbs commonly used with dates and events, such as:
- commencer (to start): "La fête commence toujours le 14 juillet."
- célébrer (to celebrate): "Nous célébrons Noël le 25 décembre."
- se souvenir (to remember): "Nous nous souvenons des moments forts de l'année passée."
You will practice their present tense conjugations, important for expressing actions related to dates and celebrations.
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