Why is there a Bastille Day in France? Other people spend the day quietly and eat a celebratory meal or picnic with family and close friends. C’est la Bastille, ce me semble ;C’est elle-mesme, par ma foy !Ventre-bieu ! Much like the Fourth of July in America, Bastille Day—known in France as la Fête nationale or le 14 juillet (14 July)—is a public holiday in France, celebrated by nationwide festivities including fireworks, parades and parties. The storming of the Bastille was not a great battle, but it became an important part of revolutionary propaganda. In one of the world’s oldest annual military parades, French troops have marched each year since Bastille Day of 1880 along the Champs-Elysées in Paris before French government officials and world leaders. There are festivals of French culture in Franschhoek, South Africa, and Hungary. Because of a previous freezing cold winter and a bad harvest there was a scarcity of grain and the price of bread was too high for most people. On 14 July 1789, a crowd of angry Parisians descended on the Bastille. Bastille Day is a day of celebrations of French culture. Persecuted by the French Catholic government during a violent period, Huguenots fled the country in the 17th century, creating Huguenot settlements all over ...read more, The French Revolution was a watershed event in modern European history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. During this period, French citizens razed and redesigned their country’s political landscape, uprooting centuries-old ...read more, Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), also known as Napoleon I, was a French military leader and emperor who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century. From the outset, the emphasis was on the patriotic and military character of the event, expressing France’s recovery from the defeat of 1870. After a bloody round of firing, the crowd broke into the Bastille and released the handful of prisoners held there. On July, 14, patriotic feelings break out throughout the country, French people wear blue, white and red, "tricolore" clothes or make-up and sing the typical Marseillaise (the French anthem) after one - or more! Bastille Day has been known and celebrated as the creation of the Sovereign Nation and what would be the "First" Republic of France (in 1792). The 14th July has become a major public holiday, traditionally considered as the symbol of the French Revolution. The storming of the Bastille signaled the first victory of the people of Paris against a symbol of the "Ancien Régime" (Old Regime). French Polynesia especially came to be known for its adaptation of the holiday to its own culture, with singing, dancing, and drumming performances and competitions held throughout the month of July. These included a military review in Longchamp near Paris and celebrations all over the country. - glasses of Champagne! Required fields are marked *. The Bastille was built in 1356 as part of the expansion of the city walls of Paris. July 14, often called la fête nationale in France, became an official holiday in 1880. Starting in 1980, however, the parade returned to the Champs-Elysées. At around 10am on the morning of 14 July, around 900 people descended on the Bastille – artisans, labourers, soldiers who had turned revolutionary. Bastille Day commemorates storming of the Bastille, a Parisian prison, on 14 July, 1789, during the reign of King Louis XVI, and the locking-in of the French Revolution. If you were to believe former inmates, it was literally torture. Celebrated on July, 14, Bastille Day is the French national day and the most important bank holiday in France! The area from the Bastille to the Seine river became the Port de l’Arsenal. So what happened on this day to make it so important in France and to be known throughout the world? Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... French jets trailing the national colours over Paris during Bastille Day celebrations, 2017. And why was that unfortunate? In 2016, in a terrorist attack in Nice, a truck barreled through a pedestrian-filled crowd at a Bastille Day celebration, killing 86 people and injuring over 400. https://www.history.com/topics/france/bastille-day. Setting the storming of the Bastille in 1789 as an essential part of the French History. One of the revolutionary days in Paris and now a national holiday, the 14th of July ("Bastille Day") is celebrated with a mixture of solemn military parades and easygoing dancing and fireworks. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Bastille Day is a public holiday in France so post offices, banks, and many businesses are closed. In 2010, fourteen African countries participated in the parade as part of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of their independence. People may also wear clothing or face paint in these colors. On 14 July 1789, a crowd of angry Parisians descended on the Bastille. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Official celebrations were held in Paris on June 30, 1878, to honor the Republic of France. Setting the storming of the Bastille in 1789 as an essential part of the French History. Political prisoners were often held there, as were citizens detained by the authorities for trial. The Fête de la Fédération ("Feast of the Federations") held on July 14, 1790, celebrated with great pomp the first Anniversary of the insurrection. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.