14 juil. 2013

Le 14 Juillet : Bastille Day

Military parade Champs-Élysées
Storming of la Bastille by Jean-Pierre-Louis-Laurent Houel
Today is Bastille Day, the French national holiday which is celebrated on 14 July of each year!
In France, it is called La Fête Nationale (The National Celebration) or le quatorze juillet (the fourteenth of July). It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution.

Festivities and official ceremonies are held all over France. The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Elysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, French officials and foreign guests.

The 14 July's festivities always end with fireworks in most of the cities in France. The larger, most beautiful and most famous fireworks is the one in the Eiffel Tower.
But, as it's always crowded, this year I'll try to enjoy it from the top of the "Butte Montmartre" (plus it's closer from my flat!).

I'll try to take a few nice pictures to share with you. Meanwhile, here are a few pictures of the fireworks:








Bastille day on Etsy !