Good Friday

[vinteuil]

There was an assumption, on the part of the Vatican. The trouble was that nobody knew what happened to the Virgin Mary, since the Bible did not record her fate.

So, I think it was in 1870 or thereabouts that they decided that she had been bodily lifted up to heaven, just to keep it simple, as it were.

... a lot earlier than that - even if it only became Dogma in the 1950s -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assumption_of_Mary

[HighlandDougie]

Having lived (mostly) in French France for most of the last decade, I still get completely confused about Ascension Day, Assumption Day, what I think of as Ferragosto (15 August) and the day of the Blessed Rameau (OK, I made that one up). The signifier is the local petit Carrefour: if it shuts at 12.30pm, it's a biggie; if it's open all day, not so exciting. And, as Stunsworth reminds us, it's all about a specific date so if the holiday (11 November, say) happens to fall on a Saturday, there is no Friday off as compensation. Ah, La Belle France!

[kernelbogey]

.... I still get completely confused about Ascension Day, Assumption Day....

Travelling by train to Croatia, where we were going to sail, in May 2016 two friends and I arrived in Munich to overnight there as planned, and on the next morning were puzzled by the relative absence of traffic, and, as we later discovered, open food shops. Turned out it was Ascension Day, and Bavaria being staunchly catholic, it's a public holiday.

The next bit of the story has become legendary amongst us, and I'll save the full story for some place more appropriate: our onward Deutsche Bahn connection to Zagreb was running fifteen [sic] hours late.... Supernatural explanations were not offered, but the journey did become increasingly bizarre.

[ardcarp]

Two other big days in Brittany (and I'm not sure it's for tourists as the days are 'out of season') are New Year's Eve or St Sylvestre and Epiphane where Les Galettes des Rois are everywhere. And if you crunch on a concealed magus (is it called a 'fave'?) you might need a dentist next day.

Toussaint is also a bit wild, because flowers are put on relatives' graves (the cimetieres being beautifully kept) no matter how far you have to travel. The florists work overtime and the traffic becomes silly.

[jean]

Having lived (mostly) in French France for most of the last decade, I still get completely confused about Ascension Day, Assumption Day, what I think of as Ferragosto (15 August)...

Ferragosto is the Assumption, I don't know if the French have a word for it.

It's a shame there's never anyone around to sing decent music for it, but then they don't sing much for any of the great feasts, in France or Italy.

[HighlandDougie]

Indeed, 15 août is l’Assomption but might better be known as le jour des bouchons, as that is the day when traffic jams are supposedly at their worst. As to galletes des rois, the little figurine inside is known as a fève aka a broad bean. Our local bakers have updated them to include what I can only think of as “novelty” figures, but still ceramic as plastic would be likely to melt. I won a caterpillar this year.

[ardcarp]

the little figurine inside is known as a fève

Thanks HD !

[Demetrius]

Deutsche Bahn connection to Zagreb was running fifteen [sic] hours late.... Supernatural explanations were not offered, but the journey did become increasingly bizarre.

That is about on par for the Deutsche Bahn. Give me a DB train that is on time and I will start believing in saints