The Angers July 14th splitted between economy and souvenir

Even if the National Day is praised by French people because it grants them a longer (and quite sunny) weekend, nevertheless some of them continue to work mainly in restaurants, and more scarcely in stores. Some of them like decatlon were opened yesterday and few customers were purchasing items. Of course French people understandably consider it's unconceivable to work or to do shopping that specific day because they think if they don't work how can they make their fellow citizens work?

But in fact, it would be may be appropriate to reconsider that point of view. France, as many European countries gets bogged down in economical difficulties (loss or at best staggering revenues, weak growth, important unmployment, unbalance of public finances and  retirement budget...). So, it could be clever to make it easier for people who accept to work, if they get extra pay packet for that, to live that non working day on their own way.

From abroad, mails received by the way from US let glimpse that foreign people still see the July 14th in France as an emblematic day for French.  This national pride for past events is surely one of the attractive caracteristic of the country.  That is not wrong : on July 14th the Angers inhabitants didn't storm the Bastille, but the Angers castle, for picnic.