MayDay, MayDay: May 1st is upon us
Brace yourselves: Life in France is about to really slow down!
Bonjour, c’est Véro
Jeudi, c’est le 1er mai. Thursday is May Day.
I am guessing international visitors in the Hexagon (that’s what we call metropolitan France when we show off our geometry skills) will scratch their heads when they realize local life has come to a standstill including in many Parisian neighborhoods.
On May 1st French law prohibits employers from requesting their salaried staff to work.
La Fête du Travail. Labor Day, since 1948 in France. International Workers’ day in other parts of the world.
May 1st is not the day to try and go shopping for that new pair of shoes or a new iPhone. Vous trouverez portes closes. Shops will remain closed. In most French cities outside Paris public transportation will not be available either.
Cheer up: May 1st is the perfect day to indulge in a beloved French ritual: le lèche-vitrine (window-licking, literally.) Like Bruce Springsteen used to sing: You can look, but you’d better not touch!
C’est le calme plat sur la France. Dead calm has fallen over France.
In typical French fashion there have been interpretations of the law in the past so some businesses could remain open. Les boulangeries, considered commerces indispensables (essential businesses) - for reasons everyone who’s familiar with French life will understand - have often been open on May 1st.
Les fleuristes (florists) too. May 1st is their third most profitable day of the year: The French offer un brin de muguet (a bunch of lily-of-the-valley) to loved ones for good luck and happiness, an age-old tradition born in the 16th century, they say.
These exceptions have been tolerated as they tend to be in a society regulated by so many rules it’s hard to keep up (i.e. the authorities have turned a blind eye.)
Restaurants and a handful of small local supermarkets have also continued welcoming customers on May 1st. Hypermarkets (supermarkets on steroids often located in suburban areas) remain closed. That includes Parisian Costco superstores, by the way. When in Rome and all that…
Why make things simple when you can make them complicated?
Over the last few years several boulangers (bakers) have been fined for requesting their staff to work on May 1st. It didn’t matter said staff had agreed to do it on a voluntary basis. The fines were steep, over 750 Euros per employee. A group of boulangers in the Vendée region stood their ground and made the news. They appealed the fine… and have recently been pardoned.
How dare they ask folks to work when the rest of the country enjoys a day off, especially that day?
May 1st is un jour chômé, i.e. a day when you get paid to stay home. We have others, especially in May. May 1st is more than that, a tribute to all those who’ve fought to protect workers’ rights since the 19th century. If an employer wants his business to remain open that day he can man it himself (and sweet-talk some of his friends and family members into helping) but no employees, no siree.
In retaliation for the well-publicized fines, the French National Confederation of Bakers and Pastry Chefs have pushed for all their businesses in France to be closed on Thursday May 1st, 2025. Will this happen?
The answer at a boulangerie-pâtisserie near you on Thursday.
I already hear tourists (and some locals) exclaim: “Quoi ? No chocolate éclairs, no baguette tradition today?”
They should not despair: Some French senators have announced earlier this week that labor laws on May 1st should be amended especially when les boulangers are concerned. They will try and push for some legal changes.
I will let you guess what the main boulanger trade-union’s immediate response was. Paraphrasing, it was something along the lines of: “Non, mais ça va pas, non ?! Hors de question!” (Have you lost your mind? FuggedAboutIt!”)
Since May 1st is also a favorite day to organize social protest all over the country, things should get quite lively in the Hexagon. This site enables you to enter a French city name and see what events are organized near you.
No need to get alarmed if you are visiting: Most protests are très encadrés (closely supervised,) routes officially communicated to local authorities in advance by law.
L’ambiance est souvent bon enfant. The atmosphere is often friendly and easy-going.
As I catch some of the giant manifestation (protest) organized in Paris on Thursday just a few hours before my next tour starts, I will keep in mind that the minor inconvenience of not being able to shop for snacks and picnic supplies for my new tour members (as I try to prep for a busy 11 days on the road) is not a huge price to pay.
Workers’ rights and other worthy causes highlighted with gusto by protesters (world peace, individual rights and social justice) are worth taking a pause for.
Our leaders - who’ve learned hard lessons the hard way over the centuries - will be paying attention. Maybe everyone should.
As for that éclair au chocolat you have been craving for, pas d’inquiétude. No worries.
It will be waiting for you at the local boulangerie by Friday morning.
A bientôt.
Your writing is a nice vacation
Thank you for this info presented with style & humor🌟