Universal Ramblings

Americans have The 4th of July; the French have Bastille Day. On July 14, 1789, an outraged group of Parisians stormed the Bastille, a fortress and prison in France where prisoners of influence were held, in hopes of capturing ammunition.

Shortly thereafter, King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette took refuge in Versailles as the violent peasants pillaged and burned châteaux, and destroyed records of feudal dues; this reaction is known as the grande peur (great fear).

There was a problem with the storming of the Bastille. All Frenchmen could not rally around that event because the mob took the Bastille by force, killed the guards and paraded in the street showing off Governor de Launey’s head. It was a forerunner of the terrible things that happened in 1793 when the State used terrorism as a way of government.

Ninety years later, in 1880, France was still fragile. After decades of upheavals and wars, the National Assembly chose republic over monarchy by only one vote of majority. The royalists were still strong in the country. And the blood of the Bastille was a stain on the Republic. The Fête de la Fédération, on the other hand, was the perfect example of French unity around republican values. They chose to officially commemorate that day to reassure the bourgeois.

This French national holiday commemorates the storming of the Bastille at the start of the French Revolution. Crowds line the Champs-Elysées for a military parade led by the President, and Parisians party until dawn as fireworks explode over the Trocadéro.

The evening before the big day is spent dancing in the Bastille square and at numerous balls that are organised around the city. Worth a look-in are the many parties held by the fire service in their stations, at which the fire-fighters themselves are usually the star attraction (their uniforms providing a lure for the ladies).

There is also a big outdoor Gay Ball if you fancy something more boisterous. If that doesn’t take your fancy, try sitting down to the Incredible Picnic, one of the largest in the world, taking place in some 20 of France’s departments.

On the big day itself, the big parade on the Champs-Elysées sees jets fly in formation as top military brass march from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. Bringing up the rear and receiving the loudest applause are the fire brigade, perhaps suffering from a hangover or two. It’s wise to arrive early if you want to get a good view.

The partying continues all day and later thousands of people come together again at the Champ-de-Mars to watch the fireworks at the Trocadéro. On top of all that, most bars and clubs stage their own celebrations, so take your pick. If you’re not in Paris, don’t worry: every single village in France has their own dance, with champagne, fireworks, street fun and lots more. Everyone should take in at least one Bastille Day in their lives.