French HolidaysFaire le Pont

One expression you hear often in France is ‘Faire le Pont.’ It literally means to make a bridge. A better translation would be to make a long weekend. For example let’s say that Bastille Day falls on a Tuesday. Many people in France will ‘Faire le Pont’ and take the Monday in between off to make a four day weekend.

For this reason, during months like May, a month with three public holidays - Labor Day (May 1st), Victory in WWII (May 8th) and Ascension (40 days after Easter Sunday). You will often hear people saying they will ‘Faire le Pont.’