it sounds so much better in french

I came across this while checking public holiday dates in France (so we know whether things will be open):

When a public holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, it is common practice to "make the bridge" (faire le pont) by taking off the Friday or Monday so creating a very long weekend.

Sounds so much nicer than 'chucking a sickie'.

From what I can see, we only have one public holiday to work around - Tutti i Santi Ognissnati (All Saints Day) on November 1, when we'll be in Italy. From the little bit of reading I've done about this holiday, it sounds like we might see another side of Italy, especially as Il Giorno dei Morti (All Souls Day) is the following day, and the two occasions (along with All Saints Eve - Halloween - on October 31) are celebrated with special food and celebrations.