Every Weekend a Holiday

This year, each weekend in May provided something to celebrate or commemorate.
May 1st and May 8th fell on Saturdays. The weekend after that was the four day Ascension holiday so Pentecost or Whitsun (celebrated one week afterwards) also came in May rather than in early June. Since there were five Sundays this May, there was one left for "la Fête des Mères" (Mothers’ Day), celebrated here either the last Sunday in May or the first in June -- depending on the date of Pentecost.
We almost lost Pentecost to the heat wave in 2003. People were distraught at the 15000 deaths, mostly of the elderly, that year. The government decided to institute a National Day of Solidarity for the Elderly and Handicapped. Employees would work one day more per year and employers would pay one day’s salary per employee into a special fund which would make grants to various institutions that cared for this segment of the population. I believe, perhaps naively, that if the law had been passed in September 2003, there would have been little protest. But, when it finally was -- on June 30th, 2004 -- people had had nearly a year to forgot how shocked they had been -- and a year to remember how much they really needed every holiday they had been used to.


The law named Whit Monday as the day people would work. I’m sure it seemed logical to the legislators, because of the other holidays in May. But there was a huge outcry. The unions cried exploitation. The area around Nîmes foretold economic disaster as its 5 day Whitsun bull fighting festival would suffer greatly without the long weekend. I, too, thought it was a shame to destroy a centuries-old tradition – until I discovered that this Festival, started in 1952, wasn’t even as old as I am!
Confusion reigned until March 2008 when the law was – no, no, not repealed but amended. Whit Monday was re-established as a public holiday AND the idea of a National Day of Solidarity was maintained. Employees must still work one day more than they used to – but it can be any day their company decides. (I think most give employees one vacation day less per year – no hardship for any but the most principled fighters against capitalist exploitation of workers.) This year people felt particularly fortunate that the holiday had been re-established. It was a gloriously warm weekend – the only one of the month.


The "Jeunes Agriculteurs" (a farmers’ union for younger agricultural workers and farmers) were, no doubt, especially thankful for the weather as they had prepared a treat for all those spending that weekend in Paris. On Saturday night (May 22nd) , the entire length of the Champs Elysées was transformed into a showcase of French agriculture which 1.9 million people (including me) visited on Sunday and Monday.
At the Arc de Triomphe end, 650 trees from all regions of France were displayed





Young agricultural workers and students greeted us and answered any questions.


The trees were followed by sections of flowers and plants – 150 different varieties.

The sea is part of French agriculture -- providing salt


And oysters.



We got to see those too.
There were a number of animals

Though only the ovines came with their own shepherd and sheepdog.


A kilometer later, near the Place de la Concorde, we could buy the fruits of the farmers’ labors to refresh us.


I came home,exhausted, with my first sunburn of the season. I’ll never think of the Champs (“champs” does mean “fields”) Elysées the same way again.

Yes We Cannes

The last two weeks of May in Paris always seem to be a gentle rehearsal for summer. Now, except in a very unlucky year, we can put away our heavy warm clothes and wear our light colorful ones. The numerous long weekends help us prepare for the soon-to-come time when we’ll be able to leave on a real vacation. Special May events which most of us see on TV help put us in a lazy summertime mood.

The first of these is the Festival de Cannes – 12 days of international art, politics, business, controversy and glamour with a backdrop of palm trees and beaches – like a very successful holiday conversation on a café terrace.
Since I am not a night owl, one of my favorite things about the Festival de Cannes is that its televised rituals take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every evening – just in time for an aperitif after the day’s activities. These include, of course, the opening ceremony and the awards ceremony but also the daily “montée des marches” (when the director and actors of the film to be shown in competition that evening walk ceremoniously up the 24 red-carpeted steps lined with photographers and TV cameras -- and into the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès.)
Before and after the “montée des marches” each evening, actors, directors, journalists and critics tell us about the films of the day and we get to see the trailers. For, unlike the Academy Awards or other national film award ceremonies, le Festival de Cannes films, at least those in competition, have not yet been released to the general public. Some won’t be released until late fall. Some of the more exotic ones, unless they win a prize, may not be released in Europe at all.
Ten years ago, I spent a morning in Cannes during the Festival, while I was visiting friends who live nearby. It was exciting to see the places I’d only seen on TV. Now, it’s fun to recognize the places I briefly saw that day.





This year’s Palme d’Or (Best Picture) was surprising and controversial. It was a Thai film called Lung Boonmee Raluek Chat (or Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives) directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul – whose name gave the French news presenters a new tongue twister to replace that of the Icelandic volcano.


Was it chosen because of the Thai political situation? Or because its fantastical tale appealed to Tim Burton, the equally fantastical President of the Jury this year?


No one can be sure but everyone has an opinion. I know. Let’s go sit in the sunshine on the terrace of a café and discuss it!

Les Saints de Glace

May is a month of contradictory folk wisdom. On one hand, the end of the proverb I quoted about April says “En mai fait ce qu’il te plait” (in May, do as you please). That suggests that cold rainy April is over and all should be warm and bright. But this is also the month of “les Saints de glace” (the icy Saints). Though Vatican II dismissed Saint Mamert (May 11th) Saint-Pancrace (May 12th) and Saint-Servais (May 13th) from the calendar of Saints, French farmers and gardeners – and even city dwellers who have never grown a plant in their lives – know that cold, even freezing, temperatures are still likely until these days are over.
This year the Saints arrived early and stayed late.
On May 4th there was enough snow to close airports and roads in the south of France. Later that day, a storm along the Riviera swept sand from the beaches, sunk boats and broke some beachfront cafés into matchsticks. Since then it’s just been cold and cloudy everywhere.
Perhaps in reaction to the weather, I’ve been in somewhat of a state of hibernation since the end of April -- doing all the things that are on my calendar but not seeking anything extra. I’ve been “doing what I please” in the comfort of my home and waiting, like a hothouse plant, for the “Saints de glace” to be on their way.
It’s not like nothing happens during the first two weeks of May.
May 1st is always fun – especially because two very different celebrations take place that day. It’s an ancient custom to give people sprigs of muguet (lily-of-the-valley) for luck on May 1st. People in the country can gather it themselves; others have to buy theirs. Of course, florists are happy to oblige but, on every street corner, ordinary people sell sprigs and bouquets, too – the only time of the year one can sell without a pedlar’s licence.





Since 1941, May 1st has also been the Fête de Travail (Labor Day) leading to another ritual – the May Day March. There’s always something the government is doing wrong and members of all the different trade unions as well as thousands of ordinary people march for hours on the afternoon of May 1st to let them know about it.






I went out to buy my muguet this year – luck is always good to have – but I skipped the March. Those pictures are from last year.
One week after the 1st of May is another holiday marking the end of World War II in Europe. It’s only been a public holiday since 1981, though commemoration ceremonies were held before then. Such a young holiday has no rituals except among people who remember the end of the war. But everyone is glad to have a day off. This year, it fell on a Saturday and was just another weekend for most. It happened to be our choir’s spring weekend choir practice. The evening of May 8th we sang and danced, though few were remembering World War II. Hopefully those who fought for our freedom were happy to know we were enjoying it.




Last weekend was Ascension. The holiday is on Thursday but most people also have Friday off – the famous French “pont” or “bridge” when there’s one day between a holiday and the weekend. Not a fortunate bridge this year as you can see.




But this morning the sun is peeping out and part of the sky is blue.

By the weekend, it will be sunny and 24° (that’s 73°F for you Americans). Time to stop hibernating!