Look at these examples:
Le jour de la Saint-Valentin, tu passes du temps avec ton bien-aimé.On Valentine's Day, you spend time with your loved one.
À la Sainte-Catherine, les femmes célibataires mangent du gâteau.
On St Catherine's Day, single women eat cake.
On St Catherine's Day, single women eat cake.
Note that when talking about doing something on a name day, you can use either:
à la + Saint(e) [name]
or
le jour de la + Saint(e) [name].
or
le jour de la + Saint(e) [name].
While à la is more general, le jour de la insists a bit more on the very day.
In French, name days are feminine, even with masculine names.
It's because they're considered as la fête de = the celebration of that name.
Therefore, you will always say à la + [name day], or le jour de la + [name day].
It's because they're considered as la fête de = the celebration of that name.
Therefore, you will always say à la + [name day], or le jour de la + [name day].
This rule also applies to All Saints' Day = la Toussaint :
Also see Which prepositions to use with celebration days - like Christmas - in French
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Examples and resources
Le jour de la Sainte-Catherine, les femmes célibataires mangent du gâteau.On St Catherine's Day, single women eat cake.
Le jour de la Saint-Valentin, tu passes du temps avec ton bien-aimé.On Valentine's Day, you spend time with your loved one.
À la Sainte-Catherine, les femmes célibataires mangent du gâteau.
On St Catherine's Day, single women eat cake.
On St Catherine's Day, single women eat cake.
À la Toussaint en France, les gens ne travaillent pas.On All Saints' Day in France, people don't work.
