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What Is Bastille Day?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Bastille Day is an important holiday in France, celebrating the birth of the French Republic and the end of monarchy. It is typically celebrated with fireworks, parades, dance parties, and feasts, and the whole nation regards the day as a national holiday. Francophiles around the world often hold celebrations of their own, as an homage to French history and culture. For Americans, Independence Day would be a comparable holiday.

Alternate names for Bastille Day include Fete Nationale and 14 Juillet. The first is a reference to the idea that Bastille Day is a national party, a day on which no French citizens are expected to work. The other is a nod to the date on which Bastille Day occurs, the 14th of July.

Bastille Day is a French holiday commemorating the end of the monarchy.
Bastille Day is a French holiday commemorating the end of the monarchy.

Fans of the Tour de France may note the holiday coincides with the famous cycling race. The festival atmosphere of the race is often noticeably heightened on Bastille Day, especially when the French team puts a great deal of effort into taking that day's stage of the race.

Commonly, people start celebrating Bastille Day the night before with fireworks and dancing. During the daylight hours of the 14th, it is traditional to see large parades and street parties. The President of France typically addresses the nation on this day, and the party picks up again in the evening. As with other patriotic holidays around the world, the French flag is often abundantly displayed during the holiday, and various incarnations of the national anthem are sung, hummed, or played on an assortment of musical instruments.

Fireworks are a common sight on Bastille Day.
Fireworks are a common sight on Bastille Day.

The holiday commemorates the 1789 invasion of the Bastille, an infamous French prison. This event was a major catalyst in the French Revolution, since it represented a popular uprising against what was viewed as an oppressive institution. Although the storming of the Bastille ended up having little practical use, it proved to be a valuable rallying point, and it was celebrated in 1790 with the Fete de Federation.

The attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789 is the event that marked the mobilization of the French Revolution.
The attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789 is the event that marked the mobilization of the French Revolution.

Celebrations of Bastille Day did not begin in earnest until the late 1800s, when the French government officially voted to establish a holiday celebrating the French Republic and the values of liberty, equality, and brotherhood. Initially, the government proposed the 30th of June. By 1880, two years after the initial proposal, the legislature had agreed that 14 July was a more significant date, since it would allow citizens to celebrate a major event in their history.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

CellMania

@stormyknight: On the eve of Bastille Day, there is much dancing in Bastille Square. There are number of formal balls, hosted by the city. It is also a tradition for the firehouses to host large parties. The servicemen wear their uniforms, attracting many French ladies to their doors. There is a parade on Bastille Day that starts at the Arc de Triomphe and ends at the Place de la Concorde. The parade is hosted by the President of France.

When the parade ends, there is a huge picnic hosted by 20 of France’s departments. It is known to be one of the largest organized picnics in the world. The day ends with a huge fireworks show.

StormyKnight

How is Bastille Day celebrated?

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    • Bastille Day is a French holiday commemorating the end of the monarchy.
      By: CGinspiration
      Bastille Day is a French holiday commemorating the end of the monarchy.
    • Fireworks are a common sight on Bastille Day.
      By: Oleksii Sagitov
      Fireworks are a common sight on Bastille Day.
    • The attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789 is the event that marked the mobilization of the French Revolution.
      By: benkenogy
      The attack on the Bastille on July 14, 1789 is the event that marked the mobilization of the French Revolution.