Since 1990 various associations, political parties and trade-unions in Corsica have adopted the practice of deserting the classroom on December 8th, a date which, since the first half of the 18th century, has been regarded as the island’s « national holiday ». The aim behind this boycotting of classes, which from its initial sporadic status subsequently became massive and systematic, is to establish the day’s official status as a « national holiday ». The article examines the symbolic representations in operation here, and it reflects on the implications of a decision which, in the context of the French educational system, is a singular one.