Day 2720 (Monday) 18th November 2024

This is Eze Village

and this is Cannes.

 

Pat put this photo on WhatsApp last night…

Huw finished painting the bedroom this morning and it’s looking good and as always Badger helped him.

Olivia came and cut my hair and I now have a fringe again, she said it took years off me. Pat called in to look at his logo on Huw’s computer and to go to a flat down the road. Pat is fixing up the flat and he wants Huw to show the gasman where the meter is so he can see if the supply is still connected.

These are their views…

As always on a Monday here’s What's happening in France this week

Wine-growers bring barrels of Beaujolais Nouveau to the official launch of the 2023 edition of the "Beaujolais Nouveau" wine in the streets of Lyon, central-eastern France, on November 15, 2023. (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP)

From farmers' protests and rail strikes to Beaujolais Nouveau day plus the beginning of Christmas market season in France, here's what is happening in France this week.

Monday

Farmers' protests - The two largest unions representing French farmers have called for fresh demonstrations starting on Monday, November 18th. Smaller unions have also planned protests. This time, Arnaud Rousseau, the head of the main union (FNSEA), has promised to have a presence in 'every département in France'.

Important dates for property taxes - If you are paying your taxe foncière bill incrementally and online (by direct debit), then your bill will appear in your online tax space on Monday. For those paying on paper, you should have already received your bill, or at latest you will get it by Monday. 

Thursday

Rail strike - Unions representing French rail workers have called for strikes on Thursday. Train schedules and cancellations should be available 24 hours in advance. If you are planning to travel by rail on November 21st, consider altering your journey if possible. While this is expected to be a one-day action, unions have already promised "longer and stronger" action starting on December 11th if their grievances are not met.

Beaujolais Nouveau Day - The third Thursday of November (November 21st this year) is the Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau, when the notorious young wine hits shop shelves, and towns in the Beaujolais area hold festivals. 

Friday

Christmas markets start to open - While most Christmas markets will not open until the last weekend of November, a few will start up on Friday, November 22nd. These include the Christmas markets in Nancy, Mulhouse, and Lyon.

France v Argentina rugby - The French national men's rugby team will play against Argentina on Friday at 9:10pm at the Stade de France just outside Paris. This match is part of the Autumn Nations Series 2024 test matches.

Saturday

Projected ski resort opening dates - Some high-elevation ski resorts, like Val Thorens, are scheduled to open on November 23rd, subject to weather conditions. Lower elevation resorts will begin opening in mid-December.

Demonstrations against violence against women - In honour of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, feminist groups and unions have called for demonstrations in France on Saturday. 

WWII Anniversary - Saturday will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the eastern French city of Strasbourg during WWII by French General Leclerc.

Sunday

Marathon at La Rochelle - The run will take place on both Saturday and Sunday at La Rochelle in western France, according to France Bleu. Expect road closures in certain areas.

Why does secular France have so many Catholic holidays?

Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP

You might not have thought about it too much as you enjoyed an extra day off work, but it is perhaps unexpected that France - proudly secular since 1905 - has so many public holidays based around Catholic festivals.

Reader question: Why does France have Catholic holidays like Ascension, Assumption and Toussaint? I thought it was supposed to be a secular republic?

The French Republic is very proud of its secular principles but yet as some readers observed, many public holidays are linked to Catholic celebrations, a reminder of its religious history.
Roughly half of the public holidays in France represent Catholic events: Easter, Ascension (a movable feast, but May 9th this year), Assumption (August 15th), Pentecost (for some people), All Saints’ day (November 1st) and of course Christmas.

If you live in Alsace-Moselle (formerly Alsace-Lorraine) you get two extra holidays, both religious ones - Good Friday (the Friday before Easter) and St Stephen's Day (December 26th) - more on why that is later.

France's secular stance takes its roots in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 but was formally codified into law in 1905. 

France does not recognise, pay or subsidise any religion. So French local and national governments are not allowed to finance churches, mosques, synagogues or temples, and religious symbolism is not allowed in State buildings or for representatives of the State.

It is these rules that mean that, for example, French primary schools don't perform nativity plays at Christmas and French female police officers are not permitted to wear the Muslim headscarf while on duty.

EXPLAINED What does France's secularism really mean?

The flip side of this is that freedom of worship is also protected in the 1905 law, and everyone is allowed to practice whatever religion they choose in their private life.

The only exception to the secular rules are the three departments of Alsace-Moselle. When the 1905 law was passed the region was part of Germany and only became French again at the end of World War I. As part of the compromise agreed, today bishops, priests, rabbis and pastors have the status of civil servants and the state pays for the maintenance of religious buildings. Religious education in public schools is also preserved.

So all that seems to pretty strongly suggest that Catholic festivals should play no part in France's holiday calendar and only the secular events - such as the Fête nationale on July 14th or VE Day on May 8th - should remain.

However, by the time secularism was formally codified into law in 1905 there was already a fairly fixed calendar of holidays and festivals - although this had already been slimmed down under the Napoleonic government in 1802 - and suddenly axing popular festivals was likely to go down pretty badly with the population at large.

Essentially then, this was a pragmatic compromise between tradition and secularism and over the years politicians have been understandably reluctant to tell the French they must lose their holidays.

But it's noticeable that all the religious festivals in the calendar are Christian ones, and while this may reflect France's history it's not so representative of the current demographics, where an estimated 10 percent of the population either practice the Muslim faith or have a Muslim family background.

So could we see a scenario when we knock Ascension on the head but make Eid a public holiday?

It's theoretically possible - in 2015 the French parliament voted through an amendment that would allow the départments of France's Overseas Territories (Martinique, Gaudeloupe, Mayotte, Réunion and French Guiana) to switch a Catholic bank holiday for another religious celebration to suit different faiths in the local population.

However none of the overseas départements has yet made that move. 
A fresh amendment would be required to make the same move in mainland France, and there appears to be little political appetite for that at present.

What are France's public holidays? 

January 1st: New Year’s Day

Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Monday, only a holiday in Alsace-Lorraine)

Easter Monday (movable date)

May 1st: May Day

May 8th: VE Day

Ascension (movable date)

Pentecost (movable date and no longer an official holiday)

July 14th – Bastille Day

August 15th – Assumption

November 1st – All Saints

November 11th – Armistice Day

December 25th – Christmas

December 26th  - St Stephen's Day (only a holiday in Alsace-Lorraine)