Great Parks In France To Be At During The Holidays

France has eleven public holidays (not counting Easter and Pentecost, both of which of course fall on a Sunday), five sets of school breaks, and a lengthy summer vacation. Any of these is an opportunity for people to relax and enjoy the company of family members and close friends.

A great way for completely enjoying the holidays in France is to leave the comfort of your homes and go on a long trip to some scenic destinations. Some of the country's national parks can be good choices for such a holiday adventure. Here are five of them:

Parc national des Pyrénées:

The Pyrénées National Park is a 457-square kilometer national park located within the departments of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées in the southwestern part of France. Its creation was completed on March 23, 1967. The park is famous for its mountainous landscape, making it ideal for skiing, hiking, and, of course, mountain climbing. For those with special interest in wildlife, some seventy different species of animals can be observed roaming the park freely.

Parc national des Cévennes:

The Cévennes National Park is a 913-square kilometer national park located within the departments of Gard and Lozère in southern France. It was opened to visitors on September 2, 1970. The park includes two features which are mainly the reasons why this park is one of the most visited tourist destinations in France. These are the Aven Armand cave and the Arboretum de Cazebonne. The latter has a number of exotic trees and several hiking paths.

Parc national des Écrins:

The Écrins National Park is a 918-square kilometer national park located in the southeastern part of the country. It was opened to visitors on March 27, 1973. The park is famous for a number of features, including glacier fields, high mountain peaks, and alpine pastures. More than half a million tourists from around the world visit the park every year.

Parc national de la Vanoise:

The Vanoise National Park is a 1,250-square kilometer national park located in the Alps. It was completed and opened to visitors on July 6, 1963. Some of the villages adjacent to the park include Champagny-le-Bas, La Cuaz, and La Chiserette. Large ski resorts, including Tignes, Les Arcs, and Les Trois Vallées, border the park.

Parc national du Mercantour:

The Mercantour National Park is a 685-square kilometer national park located within the departments of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes. It was opened to visitors on August 18, 1979. The park consists of twenty-eight villages and seven uninhabited valleys, namely Bévéra, Haut Var/Cians, Roya, Tinée, Ubaye, Verdon, and Vésubie. The park's great flora and fauna make it really ideal for relaxation.

In addition to these, there are about fifty regional natural parks in France, each of which is an equally great vacation place during the holidays. Ten of these are mentioned here: Parc naturel régional Scarpe-Escaut, Parc naturel régional de Brière, Parc naturel régional de la Forêt d'Orient, Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses, Parc naturel régional de Millevaches en Limousin, Parc naturel régional de la Narbonnaise en Méditerranée, Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin, Parc naturel régional de la Brenne, Parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura, and Parc naturel régional du Luberon.

French Holidays And What France Is Like During A Holiday

Each year, there are eleven holidays celebrated in France (French term: jours feriés). These exclude Easter (Pâques) and Pentecost (Pentecôte), which, of course, both fall on a Sunday and are therefore nonworking days.

The eleven French holidays consist of eight that are celebrated on fixed dates and three observed on movable dates. The latter are Christian feasts or holy days observed on dates in relation to when Easter (itself a movable feast) falls. These movable holidays are Lundi de Pâques (Easter Monday; the day after Easter), Ascension (Ascension Day; the Thursday forty days from Easter), and Lundi de Pentecôte (Whit Monday; the day after Pentecost, which is observed on the Sunday fifty days from Easter).

The eight fixed-dated French holidays are Le Jour de l'An (New Year's Day, January 1), Fête du Travail (Labor Day, May 1), Victoire 1945 (Victory in Europe Day, May 8), Fête Nationale (Bastille Day, July 14), Assomption de Marie (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15), Toussaint (All Saints' Day, November 1), Armistice 1918 (Armistice Day, November 11), and Noël (Christmas Day, December 25).

In addition to these, there are lengthy school holidays in France which are divided into five sets and distributed in three zones. The five sets of school holidays are Toussaint break (twelve-day break beginning around the latter part of the third week of October, within which All Saints' Day falls), Noel-Le Jour de l'An break (fifteen-day Christmas/New Year holiday break, from December 20 to January 4), Hiver break (fifteen-day break beginning in February, when winter is at its peak), Printemps break (fifteen-day spring break beginning usually on Good Friday), and L'ete holidays (two-month summer vacation from beginning of July to beginning of September).

The school holidays (particularly the hiver and printemps breaks), in turn, are staggered into fifteen-day periods depending on where a school is located. For this purpose, the French Ministry of Education has divided the country into three zones.

In the month of May alone, a holiday is celebrated almost every week. When France is on a holiday, everything practically comes to a halt. This is because the French take their holidays very seriously. A holiday in France is not something that is turned into a commercial opportunity. For example, businesses, stores, shops, museums, post offices, and banks are closed during a holiday.

During lengthy holidays, such as those mentioned earlier, these business establishments may be closed for as long as the holiday is in effect. Those planning to visit France for a vacation are always advised to be aware of the dates of the French holidays in order to avoid any unexpected difficulties. They should make advance arrangements with hotels, restaurants, or museums to know whether these will be open or not during a particular holiday.

During or around a public holiday, train stations and roads in major cities in France become very busy. The situation is compounded by the tradition of service unions (those working in railroad and public transport companies) going on strike during a holiday. These certainly cause traffic disruptions and public transport service schedules become irregular as a result of such disruptions.

The months of July and August, in which the long summer vacation falls, is a period not generally recommended for those wishing to visit France. French law allows every citizen to have a five-week vacation, so almost everyone use the summer period for this. The whole of France is practically on every road, railroad, seaway, and airway during this period.

French Celebration Of L'Assomption De Marie

The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated by Catholics throughout the world every year on August 15. The day is a celebration of the Catholic belief that the Virgin Mary ascended to Heaven body and soul at the end of her life here on earth.

France, a predominantly Catholic country, celebrates this day (L'Assomption de Marie in French) as one of its public holidays. Churches all over the country hold special celebrations during this day and many people attend church services. In rural areas, village festivals are held.

Activities here may include communal meals, parades, and some sports events. The festivals are attended by a lot of people, especially since L'Assomption de Marie falls within l'ete holidays (summer vacation), the longest of five school breaks in France.

An important place in France on this date is Lourdes, a small market town in southwest France near the country's border with Spain. The town is famous for the eighteen apparitions witnessed by a 14-year old girl named Marie-Bernarde Soubirous in the grotto of Massabielle between February 11 and July 16 in 1858. The beautiful lady who appeared to Bernadette (the name by which the girl is known around the world) is believed to be the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On August 15 every year, special celebrations are held in Lourdes and many Catholics, not only in France but also from other countries, journey to this place.

Elsewhere in France, the environment is one of inactivity during this day. This is true during any of the public holidays in that country. The general quietness is brought about by the fact that businesses - stores, shops, banks, and even post offices - are closed on this day.

Except in areas frequented by tourists, cafes and restaurants may likewise be closed the day before, during, and the day after the holiday. This is especially so if August 15 happens to fall on a Thursday or a Tuesday. In such a case, France goes on "faire le pont" (long weekend); many companies are closed and their employees are allowed to take the period off. This, however, is not official and government offices and banks are not covered by the practice.

In the capital city of Paris, especially along major highways, some stores may be open on this day. Also, some shops and stores at railways stations and airports may be open to serve the needs of the public. Other local services may be unavailable during the holiday though.

During the celebration of L'Assomption de Marie, church events and parades happen almost everywhere in France, forcing public transport service schedules to be adjusted due to the disruption in traffic such activities is expected to cause.

Overall, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a major occasion in every village and town in France. In many places, the day takes equal importance as that of Easter or Christmas. After all, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been the main patron saint of France since 1638.

France National Holiday Celebration Of Bastille Day

The national holiday of France is observed on July 14 every year. Referred to as "La Fete Nationale" or "Le Quatorze Juillet" in French, this special day is a commemoration of the 1789 siege of the Bastille prison; hence, this day is also known as Bastille Day.

The Bastille fortress represented the absolutistic subjugation of the French people, so that it's storming on July 14, 1789 signaled the French people's defiance against that virtual one-man rule and gave birth to modern France. The significance of this event was that the French people realized that the real power was in their hands and not in their king's.

On the morning of this important day, festive activities are held on the prestigious Avenue des Champs-Elysees in the capital city of Paris. The most prominent one, held right in front of the President of France, is the grand parade participated in by men and women from various units of the armed forces. These include those from La Royale (the French Navy), the elite Legion etrangere (the French Foreign Legion), and the Armee de l'Air (the French Air Force).

Even cadets from military schools and firefighters from the Brigade des Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris (the Paris Fire Brigade) take part in the military parade, with the latter bringing up the rear. Above the parade route fly military aircraft (such as the Rafale and the Mirage F1). Thousands of people witness the parade as the President reviews the troops.

Elsewhere, there are musical presentations, programs, and such other performances that highlight the French culture. Of course, the celebration is not complete without the usual spectacle - the fireworks display. For other people, the day is an occasion for simple family gatherings or enjoying the company of friends in excursions or outings.

The National Day of France has two important symbols: the Tricolore (the French national flag) and the Eiffel Tower. The latter is the most prominent symbol of France and is in fact that country's world icon. The structure is noted for being the "single most visited paid monument in the world", and this is especially true on Bastille Day.

The law that made July 14 France's yearly national holiday was actually made official on July 6, 1880. Then, the French Interior Ministry recommended that the special day be observed with grandeur.

Interestingly, at least four other countries celebrate Bastille Day. The United Kingdom celebrates the day in various locations in England; Hungary celebrates it in its capital city Budapest; South Africa holds its celebrations in the old town of Franschhoek; and the United States has at least nine cities observing the day.

The cities of Baltimore, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle have large celebrations during this day. Included in these celebrations are musical performances, circus, and other forms of merrymaking. People in these cities go on picnics, partaking in French food, pastries, and wine. In some of these cities, the celebration begins with a reenactment of the storming of the Bastille.

France Celebration Of Halloween

Many countries around the world celebrate Halloween as a holiday. It is observed on the eve of All Saints' Day, October 31, and hence has close association with this Christian holiday.

In France, Halloween is celebrated in much the same way as it is in most other countries, although it is not one of its traditional holidays. For example, the French also do these famous activities during Halloween:

• They attend costume parties, wearing costumes associated with the occasion.

• Children go trick-or-treating in Halloween costumes from house to house.

• People make jack-o'-lanterns (carved pumpkins).

• They go on ghost tours or visit haunted attractions.

• People do pranks or tell scary stories.

Halloween to the French was a virtual "unknown" until foreign influence (mostly from tourists and foreigners residing in France) slowly opened the eyes and minds of the French toward it. And as the French started to become familiar with Halloween little by little because of said foreign influence, extensive corporate marketing accelerated their understanding of it.

Here are some examples of how Halloween was (and still is) actively marketed into the French consciousness:

• A restaurant-bar in Paris is said to be the first such establishment in France to celebrate Halloween. This was in 1982. The owners, at first, had to make their customers understand what the celebration was all about. It took about 13 years (i.e., 13 celebrations) for the bar's customers to become fully cognizant of Halloween.

• The owners of the Masked Museum, which is located in the merged municipalities of Saint-Hilaire and Saint-Florent, began expanding the reach of Halloween in France a year after they opened the museum in 1992.

• Confiseries (candy stores) and pastry shops decorate their counters and windows with things associated with Halloween; products here are ladled with icing in the two colors the occasion is noted for - black and orange.

• Giant companies and big businesses use Halloween symbols and images in their advertisements and marketing campaigns whenever the occasion is nearing.

Today, people in France - young and old alike - attend Halloween costume parties. They wear scary costumes, such as those that make them look like a ghost, vampire, mummy, or a witch. This is one aspect in which France may be a little different in its celebration of Halloween from, say, the United States, where nonscary costumes (cartoon characters or superheroes, for example) are the preferred "disguises".

The idea of celebrating Halloween in a rather commercialized atmosphere is something that some people in France do not really appreciate. Some, in fact, are still not fully aware what exactly is being celebrated when the day comes. The reason for this is that the predominant religion in France is Roman Catholicism, and Halloween is not an occasion recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.

Still, many French, for hundreds of years, have already been observing Halloween in traditional ways the day is celebrated - visiting cemeteries and decorating the graves of their deceased relatives and friends, attending special church services, and honoring Saints. Of course, such celebration of Halloween in France coincides with the observance of La Toussaint (All Saints' Day, November 1) and Le Jour des Morts (All Souls' Day, November 2).