Vive la France –
Le quatorze juillet en France
Today I am going to write about the most important day in France. In French, we call it « le quatorze juillet » or « la fête nationale ». Each year, on July 14th, we celebrate the anniversary of the Storming of Bastille. It happened on 14 July 1789. The Bastille is a medieval fortress in Paris. It was used as a prison during the 17th and 18th centuries. The storming of the Bastille was a major event during the French revolution. It symbolizes the end of the Monarchy and the beginning of the Republic.
July 14th is a public holiday: all the shops are closed, people don’t work and children don’t go to school. Many celebrations are held on this day. In Paris, in the morning, there is a military parade on the “Champs-Élysées”. In the evening, many public dances at the local fire station take place as well as beautiful fire works. Generally, the celebrations start on the evening of the 13th and last until the 14th. Each region decides when they prefer to have their public dances and fireworks between the 13th and the 14th. However, the fireworks in Paris always take place on July 14th at the Eiffel Tower.
This year, due to Covid19, some precautions have been taken and the festivities of July 14th have been modified. For instance, the traditional military parade in Paris will be restricted and the festivities in each region, in particular fireworks, will depend on the situation in each region. But each French citizen, whether in France or abroad, will remember this crucial historical event on July 14th. Vive le France!
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