Day 35: Bank Holidays

Today was a bank holiday (that's a national day off) in France. There will be another one on Thursday (so this week its Work - Day Off - Work - Day Off - Work). As you can imagine most French people are doing bridges which means taking a day off so as to have an extra long weekend or in this case a whole week off.  Paris is quite empty it feels like the middle of August (especially with outside temperatures of 29°).  I must say that I find Bank Holidays a completely inefficient and arbitrary use of our time.  Why is the State imposing a specific day for time off? I would rather have the days as extra holiday for me to decide how I wish to use them.  There are three main kinds of National Holiday and I find them all equally silly:

1. Religious holidays (Easter, Assumption, Toussaint, Christmas etc).  These are all Christian holidays. 65% of the French declare themselves to be atheist or non practising. The rest is split between catholics 25%, Muslims 6% and Protestants, Jews and Buddhists. Considering there is a big majority of non Catholics it would make sense to get rid of these religious holidays.  And let each person take the days that suit his or her faith or work ethic.
2. Violent upheavals (End of WWI, End of WWII, French Revolution). These holidays are focused on the idea of patriotism.  They are about the creation, the liberation of the victory of the Nation.  I'm not sure that patriotism is something to encourage, I have rarely seen this concept used as a force for good. And the present rise of nationalism in the US, Russia, China, Eastern Europe and the UK is certainly not a cause for rejoicing.  
3. Miscellaneous (Labour day, New Year's Day).  I find these particularly ridiculous. Why should I  be forced to take a Holiday on the New Year? Shouldn't that be up to me.  And Labour Day Holiday that seems like a complete oxymoron.  You get a day off in honour of work how does that make sense?  What about people who are out of work shouldn't they work on that day?

There are 11 bank holidays in France, I suggest we get rid of them all and give everybody an extra 11 days holiday that people could then use when they want them.  Maybe we could just keep one new Bank Holiday which could be on the day we abolish them all.