Pentecost (Pentecôte) - The Contested Holiday

Pentecost Monday's transformation into a "solidarity day" following 2003's deadly heatwave illustrates tensions between tradition and social needs. While some sectors work to fund elderly care, others maintain the holiday, creating annual confusion.

"It's very French to create a compromise that satisfies no one," jokes sociologist Claire Martineau. "But it shows how we negotiate between Christian heritage and republican solidarity."