Today is Bastille Day – which is how the rest of the world calls France’s “Fete Nationale,” or simply “le 14 Juillet.”
This day in 1789, the people of Paris stormed the Bastille (Louis XVI’s political prison) and started down a road that eventually led to France becoming a Republic, just a few short years after the United States of America. And though the government of France doesn’t always side with US foreign policy, France and the United States have been staunch allies for well over two centuries.
So feel free to eat a croissant or two today, wear a beret, pop open a nice bottle of Bordeaux, and even watch the Tour De France. It’s all good.
Joyeux Anniversaire, Republique Francaise. I miss not being there for your birthday anymore.
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Happy Bastille Day to you sir. I’ve long thought that France had a really cool holiday in Bastille Day. While similar in the celebration of democracy and all as our 4th of July the difference is pretty aparent in that in the States we celebrate the signing of a document (The Declaration of Independence which you kindly reprinted here just awhile back) whereas in France the holiday commemorates the storming of a prison. Personally I think the whole prison storming thing is pretty bad ass if I may say so. Sure the Declaration has some great rhetoric but something about a bunch of white dudes signing their names to a piece of parchment isn’t nearly as exciting as an angry mob liberating prisoners in the name of freedom from oppression.
But anyways, hope you have a good one celebrating today. How do French ex-pats celebrate the holiday here in the States? Anything cool?
Thank you sir. We stormed a friggin prison, man! A prison!!! Can you believe it? Crazy.
I am sure the evening leading up to the storming of the Bastille involved lots of wine. 😀
Bastille Day left quite the impression upon me some 17 years ago. I was an Army brat on a bus tour out of Germany to Paris.
On the 11th, we toured Notre Dame.
On the 12th, we toured Versailles.
On the 13th, my brother and I were drug through some perfume/makeup facilities and forced to at least try escargot.
On the 14th, our “brilliant” tour guides had planned for us to visit the Louvre for most of the day and then ascend the Tower towards late afternoon, early evening on our last day in town.
So I’ve been to Paris, but I didn’t get to visit the Louvre OR Eiffel Tower. There was so much traffic and congestion that the bus was essentially stranded. Some members of our tour “power walked” to the Eiffel Tower from the bus, but my family chose to enjoy the afternoon at a sidewalk cafe having lunch. We saw a giant parade pass by, jets flying overhead, and the lot.
Bastille Day is the only non-US holiday I know by name and date. Cheers!
😀 Your tour guide was a genius. 😀
Happy Bastille Day to you, Olivier! (even though technically it’s not Bastille Day anymore in France)
I have to admit you guys do have a cool national holiday. Best wishes from your neighbors from the north-east, with whom you’ve had some trouble before, but luckily not in the past 60 years.
I know it’s an old joke, but I couldn’t really resist: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html
– Tobias
Happy Bastille Day, Olivier. I saw these pictures just before leaving Twitter for the evening. Beautiful, amazing fireworks of celebration in your homeland: http://www.breakingtweets.com/2009/07/14/featured-twitpics-eiffel-tower-fireworks-for-bastille-day/
🙂