Bastille Day

Bastille Day, which falls on July 14th each year, is the most famous of French national holidays (French: "Fête Nationale"). It commemorates one of the seminal events of the French Revolution (and indeed of modern history), when on July 14th 1789 a Parisian crowd stormed the medieval fotress and prison known as the Bastille. Even though the Bastille then only held a total of seven inmates (four forgers, two "lunatics", and one "deviant"), and due to its lack of use was already destined for closure, it nevertheless remained an important symbol of the oppression of the people by the monarchy.

In France itself, Bastille Day is celebrated by a number of events, the most famous of which is an annual military parade (French: "Défilé militaire du 14 juillet"). This parade has been held every since 1880, except during 1940 to 1944 when Paris was occupied by the Germans. Over the years, the route of the parade has varied, but today it goes down the Champs-Elysées from l'Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde.

Bastille Day is celebrated by French communities and people of French origin in other countries, including in many American cities such as Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. It also provides opportunity for teachers to educate their students about French language and culture.

If you're looking for a way to commemorate this event, you might be interested in this article: Commemorations with Cross Stitch

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