Sacre bleu! Chhuttis are sacrosanct

France has never been shy about taking to the streets. From toppling monarchies to rattling society, revolt is practically a national pastime. The latest stir might not involve storming the Bastille, but it's still setting off sparks. French PM Francois Bayrou recently sounded the alarm on the country's ballooning deficit, warning that France racks up ₹5,000 in debt every second. His fix? Trim tax breaks for the wealthy, slash civil service jobs and - sacre bleu! - scrap two beloved public holidays: Easter Monday, and May 8, Victory Day, which marks Nazi Germany's surrender in 1945.

That last bit has unleashed a mini uprising, with critics calling it a 'direct attack on our history, our roots, and French workers' - not to mention a grave threat to democracy itself, with right-wing parties surging across Europe. Bayrou may have poked the hornet's nest at the wrong time. Holidays are sacred in France. Meanwhile, here in India, we can only kick back, sip our cutting chai, and enjoy the skirmish over sacred time off. France has 11 public holidays, almost the EU average of 11.7. India? Three national ones, plus a buffet of religious, regional and optional holidays that somehow still never feel like enough. Either way, both nations agree on one thing: take away a holiday, and you'll start a revolution. Vive la difference! And pass the calendar.