Today is Bastille Day here in France. For those of you who are not up-to-date on your French history, this is France's equivalent to the 4th of July in the US. Only I think they take it a little more seriously that we take our Independence Day. You know, I think they take all of their holidays more seriously than we do, but that is fodder for a different post.
Here in France they shoot off firework (les feu artifice) and hang out with friends and family. They cook on the barbecue/grill. They use the long weekend as a starting point for their vacations. They do not go shopping. Not even a quick trip to the grocery store for more ketchup because they ran out and had forgotten to buy more. They do not start the day with a trip to Lowe's to buy supplies for the day's project. They can't because everything is closed. And this is where my "American-ness" comes out.
I knew it was a holiday. Husband and I had several conversations about this because he was going to have to be working in Japan on the holiday. And I still totally forgot about the fact that the stores would be closed. I generally do my grocery shopping on Monday morning. I could have gone on Saturday before Husband left for Japan, but thought "No need. I'll just take the girls on Monday." In the US, it wouldn't matter if it was a holiday. My favorite grocery store wouldn't be open, but Walmart would be. Heck, almost everything shopping related is open for at least a little while on the 4th of July in the US. No way those stores would miss the opportunity to let us spend our money when we are all off of work. I am so used to having the opportunity to go shopping whenever I want that I forget that that is not possible here. You don't shop on Sundays or holidays (okay, there are a few grocery stores open for 3 hours on Sunday mornings here, but not many, and I am usually at church).
And I do not think this is a bad thing, this having to stay at home and play in the sandbox or throw the ball to the every-ready Labrador Retriever. This government imposed time to cuddle on the couch and read stories (it is illegal for stores to be open on Sunday - they have to have a special license to operate on Sundays from what I understand). It makes me wonder why we ever gave that up in the US.
I hope you all have a great Bastille Day. Take a moment to appreciate our independence for a second time this month.
4 comments:
Atac and petit Casino was open today and I think everyone in the Puy de dome was at the market in Billom. :)
Happy Bastille Day. I totally agree with you. I hate that everything is open and that it's business as usual--or worse. Our garbage was even picked up on the Fourth of July for pity's sake. Ridiculous. I, too, wish we hand't given that up.
The French actually got something right! :) Just kidding about the sarcasm, but not about closing for holidays. I think it's a shame that Americans have moved to such a "work all the time" attitude. Nothing is sacred anymore. Not holidays, not Sundays, not the chance to stay home with your family. I'm glad that you're living in a place that still values those things, because we've gone down the pooper in that respect.
Lucky for me stores in Switzerland were open and it was business as usual here. Otherwise the old cupboards would have provided us with a very interesting dinner last night :). But come August 1, don't think about shopping here. That's Swiss independence day.
I agree with you though, however annoying it has been at times and even though it's taken me nearly an entire year to get used to the fact that I cannot shop on Sunday, it is a good thing for places to be closed on Sundays and holidays. Why it is so hard to plan ahead? I have had many troubles with it since we arrived, the planning ahead, but now I think it's a weird thought to go shopping on Sunday.
Happy Bastille Day!!!
Post a Comment