Chrysanthemums on the Cours Saleya and Candles in the Cimetière
Walk into the Marché aux Fleurs on the Cours Saleya in the last days of October and you will see the season turn: stalls that sold lavender and roses in summer are stacked with chrysanthemums, heather and wreaths of everlasting flowers. This is the French flower of remembrance, and in Nice, as across the country, it signals La Toussaint, All Saints' Day on 1 November. Buy a bunch, and you will understand the rhythm of the day: families carry these flowers to the cemetery, clean and tend graves, replace old blooms and remember their dead. The custom is observed by religious and non-religious families alike, though not every household takes part. If you want to see the city at its most quietly ceremonial, spend the morning of 1 November at a cemetery; special Masses are held in churches that day honouring all saints, and some families light candles or pray at the graveside. Afterward, families often gather for a shared meal, so the day has a warmth to it as well as a solemnity.
Plan Around the Calendar: Sunday 1 November 2026
In 2026, La Toussaint falls on Sunday 1 November, a public holiday in France whatever the weekday. Because it lands on a Sunday, those who work Monday to Friday gain no extra weekday off. The wider school break, the vacances de la Toussaint, runs about two weeks: classes end Saturday 17 October 2026 (pupils without Saturday lessons finish Friday 16 October) and resume Monday 2 November 2026. Unlike the winter and spring holidays, these dates are the same across mainland France, Corsica included. Expect popular attractions to be busier than usual in autumn, and note that the period overlaps Halloween on 31 October.
- Some shops, supermarkets and businesses close or run reduced hours on 1 November. Restaurants, cafés, bakeries and tourist attractions often stay open, especially in larger cities and tourist areas.
- Museums and monuments vary: some open, others closed or on changed hours. Check ahead.
- Public transport generally runs, often on a Sunday or public-holiday timetable.
- All Saints' Day (1 November) honours all saints; All Souls' Day (2 November) commemorates the dead. Because 1 November is the holiday, many families visit cemeteries that day instead.
Markets, Food and the Family Table
The seasonal food of this fortnight is market food. Head for the Cours Saleya flower market for the chrysanthemums and heather that define the day, and use the city's bakeries and cafés for the family meal that follows a cemetery visit: many stay open through the holiday, particularly in the larger city and tourist areas, though hours can be reduced. If 1 November is your only day in Nice, eat early and simply, then leave the afternoon for the cemetery and a church. The point of the day is not a festival programme but a shared table and a walk among the graves.
For Families: The All Saints' Break Children's Camps in Saint-Laurent-du-Var
If you are travelling with children aged 4 to 11, the Saint-Laurent-du-Var Cultural Center runs multi-activity camps during the 2026 All Saints' break, at the Salle des Arcades, 371 Avenue du 11 Novembre, 06700 Saint-Laurent-du-Var, in the Nice Côte d'Azur metropolitan area rather than Nice itself. There are two sessions: Monday 19 to Friday 23 October 2026, and Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. The first week runs mornings 10:00–12:00 and afternoons 14:00–16:00; the second week is listed as open. Activities include baking, hands-on science, theater, painting, pottery and English. Bring a picnic lunch; meals are available by reservation. Rates are separate for workshops, morning drop-off, lunch, evening pick-up and an all-inclusive weekly package, with prices available from the organiser on 04 93 07 37 00 or 06 76 70 98 52, or by email at c.culturel@agasc.fr. The tourist office files the camp under its Halloween listings.
Where to Base Yourself and What to Know Before You Go
Base yourself near the old town and the Cours Saleya so the flower market and the port-side streets are on foot, and plan a cemetery visit for the morning of 1 November, when families are out with their chrysanthemums and the churches hold their special Masses. Check museum and monument hours for the holiday before you set out, and confirm any restaurant you have in mind, since some businesses close or shorten their day. Remember the distinction the French keep: 1 November honours all saints, 2 November commemorates the dead, and the public holiday means most families make their cemetery visit on the first. The school break runs to 2 November, so the city stays lively with families through the fortnight and attractions are busier than in a normal autumn week.
Start with the calendar: 1 November 2026 is a Sunday, the school break runs from 17 October to 2 November, and the flower market on the Cours Saleya will be full of chrysanthemums in the days before. Book your stay near the old town, ring the Saint-Laurent-du-Var Cultural Center if you are bringing children, and leave the morning of the first free for the cemetery and the church. Nice on La Toussaint is not a spectacle but a custom, and the city invites you to join it quietly.