Pancake day, important dates for voters, the end of the winter sales, the start of the 2026 Six Nations and the Winter Olympics, and the first wave of the winter holidays.
Monday
Pancake Day — It’s Chandeleur — a day the French get superstitious, and gorge on pancakes…
READ ALSO: La Chandeleur: Why do the French eat crêpes on February 2nd?
Tuesday
Sales — The winter sales period in France comes to an end. The next official sales period is in the summer.
Wednesday
Elections — If you are eligible to vote in France’s municipal elections next month, you have until Wednesday to register to vote online. You can register at your local town hall until Friday, February 6th.
READ ALSO: How to register to vote in France’s local elections
Thursday
Sport — The 2026 Six Nations kicks off, on a Thursday for the first time ever, as France host Ireland at Stade de France. Italy v Scotland and England v Wales are both on Saturday. The reason for the unusual match scheduling is so French broadcaster France Televisions avoids a clash with the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.
Friday
Cycling — Candidates to succeed Anne Hidalgo as mayor of Paris will discuss their plans for the future of cycling in the city.
READ ALSO: How Paris has transformed itself into a ‘post-car’ city
Schools — Pupils at schools in Zone A (Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Poitiers) break up for the first of the two-week winter holidays at the end of classes, prompting the first wave of getaways to ski resorts.
Children in Zone B (Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Caen, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Rouen, Strasbourg) have one more week of school to go; while those in Zone C (Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, Versailles) remain at school until the end of the day on February 21st.
Sport — As already mentioned, it’s the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, just over the Alpine border in northern Italy. Fans in France can watch the snow and ice sports extravaganza on France Télévisions.
Saturday
Refunds — The procedure for resolving disputes with airlines changes. In the event of a cancellation, delay, or denied boarding, prior mediation will be mandatory before any legal action can be taken. In the event of a dispute, passengers must contact the tourism and travel mediator.
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- france