July 14 is Bastille Day, the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France. In French, it is formally called Fête nationale française ("French National Celebration") and commonly and legally also known as le 14 juillet ("the 14th of July").

Despite the name, the day commemorates the Fête de la Fédération (Festival of the Federation), a holiday in 1790 to celebrate a relative period of peace after the turbulent previous year. The day was specifically chosen as the storming of the Bastille occurred on that day a year earlier. At this time, a role was still accepted for King Louis XVI and the rest of the monarchy as part of the French constitutional monarchy. However, not long after, the French Revolution would escalate, resulting in the execution of most royals and nobles as well as political and social turmoil that transformed France as a nation.

A year before the Fête de la Fédération came the storming of the Bastille, when revolutionaries against the French royalty and nobility seized control of the Bastille, an armory, fortress, and political prison. The Bastille was seen as a symbol of the royalty and its abuse of power, and its takeover was perceived as a blow against them.

In the modern day, celebrations are held across France, including what is reported as "the oldest and largest military parade in Europe" on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

More Information

Bastille Day (Wikipedia)

See also

• July (month)