July
14th - This
date in France can only mean one thing – Bastille Day !
The Bastille is a medieval fortress and prison in
Paris. Many people in France associated it with the very harsh rule of the
Bourbon monarchy in the late 1700s. On July 14 1789, troops stormed the
Bastille. This has been seen as the pivotal event at the beginning of the French
Revolution. Fête de la Fédération
was held on July 14, 1790. This has been seen ever since as the way to
celebrate the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in France.
Official celebrations were held in Paris on June
30, 1878, to honor the Republic of France, this was followed on 14th
July 1879, when more official
celebrations were held. These included a military review in Longchamp near
Paris and celebrations all over the country. After this it was proposed that
July 14th should become a holiday in France in 1880, the law being enacted on
July 6th 1880. Bastille Day then became a public holiday for the first time on
July 14th 1880. The military parade in Paris has been held every year since
1880, except during World War II.
No French Bank Holiday would be complete without a
delicious meal. Many communes have a ‘get-together’ on Bastille Day, a type of
street party. But in many regions, families gather to enjoy a typically
leisurely informal meal in the middle of the day.
Nowadays, the parade and the meals are traditions
that are still going strong, but fireworks have also become a traditional part
of the festivities in many regions of France. Especially in the bigger cities,
you can expect to enjoy a patriotic fireworks display in the evening, sometimes
on the 13th, but more likely on the evening of the 14th.
A
day like Bastille Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate everything
French, and what better way to do just that than buying a French property? You can
start your search on our website www.allez-francais.com
where over 200 properties are displayed. Break out a bottle of champagne – go on
spoil yourselves !
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