Au revoir 2022
Many people will be glad to see 2022 fade into the background as soon as possible and will be looking towards 2023.
The presidential elections were held and President Macron was re-elected. France did very well in the Football final. Morale seems to be picking up with Covid fading and few restrictions left in place.
What is there to look forward to in 2023? Below are some dates and events for you to remember.
The Winter sales “Les Soldes” will begin January 11th and last until February 7th.
On February 2nd, the French celebrate “la Chandeleur” which is Pancake day. Then on February 21st there is “Mardi Gras” which will be “Shrove Tuesday”, this date typically kicks off the Carnivals.
In June on Midsummer’s night, you have the “Fête de la Musique” with live music everywhere.
July the 14th is the “Fête Nationale du 14 Juillet” celebrating the Prise de la Bastille, this is a national holiday with events in every town and village. It’s a day when you’ll see the French tricolour flag being proudly displayed.
In mid-September, the weekend of the 16th to the 17th is the “Journées du patrimoine“. There will be more than 16000 public and private places open to the general public. This is a wonderful time to visit historical places such as castles, museums, monuments, parks and other hidden gems that will open their doors to you.
Don’t forget that in November the first bottles of Beaujolais nouveau will be available on Friday the 17th.
Some of the 2023 sporting events
The “Marathon de Paris” runs on April 2nd.
The greatest cycling event will, of course, be running this year from the 1st to the 23 of July, the Tour de France. The race will be starting in Spain, heading towards the “Basque Country” in the southwest of France, then to the northeast before finishing on the “Champs-Elysees” in Paris.
Rugby World Cup from the 8th of September to the 28th of October. The matches will be played in various towns across France. For information about this international event, check the Rugby World Cup site for the dates and pools.