Tis the season for holidays in France. The month of May typically sports four: May Day (Labor Day), Victory in Europe Day, Ascension, and Pentecost. When they fall on a Tuesday or Thursday, you'll often hear the question Est-ce que tu vas faire le pont? "Are you going to take the bridge?" Le pont is "bridge," and faire is the verb "to make," hence you'd be making/taking the bridge over the weekend, for a lovely 4-day reprieve from work. (Funny, as a freelancer, I know longer have the full appreciation I once did). Joyeuses Fêtes! (Happy Holidays!)Don't miss more illustrated French Lessons.
I remember learning about this in my French Culture class when I studied abroad in Dijon. I also remember being really jealous and added it to my list of reasons I should live in France. :) Bonnes vacances!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy "taking the bridge"!
ReplyDeleteInteresting... I love it! I'm such a sucker for a creative phrase like that. Hope you get a holiday of your own soon :)
ReplyDeleteI like post....nice ^^
ReplyDeleteWhen this happens, in Spain, that is relatively often, compared to the US standards; a 4 or 5 day "bridge" holyday, we call it " disfutar del acueducto" = " enjoy the aqueduct"; aqueduct being considered here as a long-long bridge.
ReplyDeletehttp://fotos.euroresidentes.com/fotos/segovia/acueducto-de-segovia/imagepages/image10.html
Known singer Brassens had -also- a song where ,this time, you had to cross the bridge for adventure to Instantly begin (like Lennon Instant Karma) :
"Il suffit de passer le pont; c´est tout de suite l´aventure.."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZHt3AiCDrc
Last one, for us, was the working feast of first May. And in Madrid community/province, 2nd May was also a "fiesta" rememoring the rising of the spanish people in Madrid against Napoleon Bonaparte army..all very European, certainly.
Je viens de découvrir ce blog et il est vraiment chouette ! Bonne continuation je repasserais :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting! It´s exactly the same expression in German: "Die Brücke machen".
ReplyDelete