The kids get four extra days off this month.
They are as follows:
May 1 - Labor Day. The tradition is to buy lillies of the valley that day. It supposedly has something to do with some king or another.... maybe he had ambitions to be a florist? Have to Google that one...
May 8 -VE Day (the end of WWII in Europe)
May 21/22- The 21st is Ascension Day and most people get the Friday off, as well. It's what the French call "making the bridge". I call it "four days in which to get the kids to help me finish cleaning out the garage", which is, admittedly, somewhat less catchy.
On top of this, the kids will be out of school on June 1st, as well, as it's the Monday after Pentecost.
Only Labor Day is actually an official holiday. All the others are through agreements by school boards, employers, etc.
NB: I started to write out short explanations of Ascension Day and Pentecost, but thought the better of it. The people that need to know this stuff, already know it.
Those who don't would think it all sounds like an especially bizarre set of fairy tales...
5 comments:
I know the school year is winding down on my end as well, but seriously, I wish we had more than one measly Memorial Day Monday off before we're officially done. Because I'm pretty much done and gone already, mentally. If you saw the stacks of quizzes and papers mounded, untouched, on my desk, you would weep.
"Quatre jours dans lesquels les enfants aident nettoient le garage" sounds tres elegante to me!
Hmmm, I left a comment, did it not come up?
Mentioned that we do the Pentacostle too here in Spain, but that they call it the second Easter, which I find confusing, but what the heck...it is a day off anyway, I'm not going to quibble about the words.
One of the things I miss most about the UK (and Europe in general) is the profusion of holidays.
Good incentive for me to get my dual-citizenship bum out of here when I'm done with my degree and hie myself, my husband, and my child back to the other side of the Atlantic, come hell or high water!
TM- Our school year here isn't precisely in wind-down mode yet. The kids don't get out of school until the first of July! So, I guess all these days off are good- otherwise they wouldn't make it!
Babz- ITA. Everything always sounds better in French.
Rocky- Nope, your first comment didn't show up. Odd. Anyway, thanks for posting it again.
And I'm with you on the holidays- the more, the better.
Heidi- Good luck with school. May your degree be bestowed quickly and may you soon once more be enjoying the plethora of Euro-holidays.
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