Bastille day

Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. In French, it is formally called la Fête nationale (The National Celebration) and commonly le quatorze juillet (the fourteenth of July). It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. Festivities and official ceremonies are held all over France. The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, French officials and foreign guests.

History

The Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 was the most famous event of the French Revolution, where a state prison on the east of Paris was attacked by the local people. The prison had become a symbol of the monarchy's dictatorial rule, and the event became a symbol of the movement that led to the end of the monarchy and the start of the First French Republic.

Celebrations

Bastille Day is a public holiday in France with much popular celebrations that include large public events, such as military parades, parties, concerts, balls, fireworks, and communal meals. The most famous event is the military parade along the Champs-Élysées in Paris, which has been held every year since 1880.

International Observance

Bastille Day is also celebrated by other countries and is seen as the symbol of the French Revolution. Many cities around the world, especially those with large French communities, hold their own celebrations.

See also

• French Revolution
• Storming of the Bastille
• Fête de la Fédération