Holiday plans? This is when to 鈥榝aire le pont鈥� in 2018
In 2018, the calendar means that it will be possible for workers to 鈥渇aire le pont鈥� over national holidays six times, and take three three-day "long weekends".
However, two days that would normally be taken as holiday in other years will also be 鈥渓ost鈥� in 2018, because July 14 (Bastille Day) falls on a Saturday, and November 11 (Armistice Day) falls on a Sunday.
French workers will have several opportunities to 鈥渇aire le pont鈥� - a phrase that literally means 鈥渄o the bridge鈥�, and which explains the common practice of taking one extra day鈥檚 holiday off work nearest the actual day off, to create a four-day break.
This phenomenon is possible in France because holiday days (known as 鈥渏ours f茅ri茅鈥� in French and 鈥渂ank holidays鈥� in the UK) are taken on the literal day on which they fall, as opposed to the practice seen in other countries, such as the UK, where they are often moved to the closest Monday - for example - to the holiday鈥檚 actual date.
In 2018 in France, it will be theoretically possible to 鈥渇aire le pont鈥� over the May 1 and May 8 holidays, as both fall on a Tuesday.
Workers who are able to take the Monday off will therefore have a four-day 鈥渨eekend鈥�, from Saturday to Tuesday, only returning back at work on the Wednesday.
The May 10 holiday will also present the same opportunity, as will Toussaint on November 1 (which will fall on a Thursday in 2018, meaning Friday will be the 鈥減ont鈥� day), and Christmas Day, which will fall on a Tuesday in 2018 (making Christmas Eve鈥檚 Monday December 24 the 鈥減ont鈥� day).
Three long weekends of three days will also be open to workers in 2018 as the days fall on a Monday: New Year鈥檚 Day (Monday January 1), Easter Monday (April 2), and the Pentecost/Whitsun (Monday, May 21).
Assumption (August 15) could also present a holiday opportunity, but it would require two extra days off instead of one, as it falls on a Wednesday.
