July 14th is French National Day, or Bastille Day as English-speaking countries call it, each year. France calls the day le 14 juillet or la Fête Nationale.
Similar to America’s 4th of July, this French national holiday marks the day the Bastille was stormed on 14 July 1789 and the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the king’s power.
Festivities and official ceremonies are held all over France including lots of fireworks! The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées, our favorite street in Paris, in front of the President of the Republic, French officials and foreign guests.
Happy Bastille Day!
