In France, summer vacations are so “sacred” that the government is ready to change its own vaccination policies against COVID-19 to allow French workers to be on the beach without worrying about the second needle. CNN.
Until that happens, however, there is serious public outrage in the country over the alleged possibility of a strict vaccination plan threatening people’s summer vacations. It was these fears that managed to unite one of the largest divisions in France: the “juilletistes” – those who rest in July – and the “aoûtiens” – those who prefer holidays in August.
To reassure society, authorities agreed to abandon guidelines that the second needle it should usually be obtained in the same place as the first. Now people can choose the places, including popular holiday destinations.
The monthly preference of French sun-seekers may seem like a simple curiosity about the rest of the world, but for those who live there, it’s a serious matter – and one that has left the nation stagnant all year.
Anyone planning to visit France, and Paris in particular during the summer months, should also take these provisions seriously, especially if they don’t want to open their favorite Parisian restaurant closed for weeks or if they want to avoid one of the biggest traffic jams. in the world.
Understanding why some people in France prefer August vacations and others prefer to rest in July is like stepping into the shoes of a Frenchman.
“Everyone in France is looking forward to the summer holidays,” said Julien Luap, a 30-year-old man who prefers to rest in August. “It’s like Christmas, but in the summer.”
For the proud Parisian Luap, the reason August is better than July for a holiday is simple: Paris is too exciting to leave in July. Every year the city organizes a spectacular fireworks show for July 14, the French national holiday, accompanied by public events and private parties.
Fireworks on the beach
When August comes, the city is overwhelmed by another sensation: tranquility. Most of the city’s residential areas will be emptied when their residents go on holiday, giving Arthur Kewell, a 26-year-old resident, another reason not to go on holiday in July.
Kewell does not want to return from a vacation in late July in an empty city and be at work at that time, while most of his colleagues are away, enjoying their August free time on the beach. In addition, August means for him better weather, guaranteed by the sun’s rays.
“There are fewer people in July,” Kewell said. “And the weather is worse, too, and I need the sun.”
But for many July lovers, the less crowded beach is more valuable than the sunnier and hottest. Also, celebrating July 14 on an empty and relaxing beach is just as much fun as having a party in Paris.
“You have fireworks on the beach,” said Juliet Gash, 21. “While for August 15 the beaches are usually full.”
The price for a holiday in July is also lower, as the demand for hotel rooms is usually lower than in August.
Holidaymakers in France booked 23.4 million nights in July, compared to 24.8 million nights in August in the summer of 2019, the last pre-pandemic summer holiday season, according to a study published by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Research.
Although divided on many fronts, juilletistes and aoûtiens can agree on one thing, for which none of their months is good: traffic.
“Congestion is a kind of tradition,” says Gache. “Even if you leave home at four in the morning, which my family usually does because we’re psycho, you’ll always find yourself in traffic jams.”
“The congestion of the century”
Traveling in a small, sometimes air-conditioned vehicle with three or four other family members on the A7 motorway is a childhood memory shared by many French people. This highway, connecting the French cities of Lyon and Marseilles through the Rhone Valley, is called the “solar highway” because it leads to the sunny French Riviera.
The most scandalous annual traffic jam in France occurs every year on the Saturday of the week when July meets August. This is the day when returning juilletistes collide with departing aoûtiens, leading to congestion across the country.
“This year, as in previous years, we expect more than 700 kilometers of congestion,” said Fabrice Vela, chief expert at the French Ministry of Transport’s Traffic Information Service.
In fact, the traffic service was created as a result of the huge traffic jam – the one from 1975, called the “traffic jam of the century”. On August 2, 1975, the 800-kilometer National Route 10, which at the time connected Paris with Spain, saw a congestion peak of 450 kilometers, meaning that half of the road was blocked.
The Office currently uses a four-color grading system to indicate the level of congestion – with green at best and black at worst. France sees only one or two “black days” each year when the whole country is covered in black, and usually the “crossing day” will be one of them, Vela said.
The city is stagnant
One of the main reasons for France’s passion for summer vacation is that French labor law guarantees five weeks of paid leave for the majority of the workforce. In fact, France was the first European country to implement a generalized two-week paid vacation in 1936 under the socialist government led by Leon Bloom.
“This remains one of the most symbolic provisions in labor law,” experts say. Hundreds of thousands of French workers acquired the right to have a summer vacation, a privilege previously reserved for the bourgeoisie and aristocracy.
The French love of the holiday also means that tourists who plan to visit Paris this summer, especially in August, will find most restaurants and cafes closed. At that time in the capital it was difficult to find even a toilet.
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