Bastille Day
French National Day (14th July)
French National Day or Bastille Day as it often known in the English speaking world, is held annually on July 14th although to the French it is la Fête Nationale or le Quatorze juillet!
It commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789, the beginning of the French Revolution and the end of the hated Ancien Régime. The celebrations which centre on the Champs Elysées in Paris, include parades (including military ones), fireworks, concerts and parties all over France.
Mirage Jets creating the ‘Tricolore’ over the Champs Elysées
La Fête Nationale became an official holiday in 1880, one hundred and one years after the French Revolution began.