le quatorze juillet Bastille Day In France there is always a national holiday on 14 July. It is called Bastille Day.

The Bastille was a fortress prison in Paris. On July 14, 1789 it was stormed (broken into) by French citizens because they were fed up of being ruled by a monarchy (kings and queens). They were unhappy about the way their King Louis XVI ruled them so they overthrew him. This was called the French Revolution. They wanted to rule for themselves and so from then on, France became a republic. (A republic is a form of government that puts the power to make decisions in the hands of its citizens).

Above all, Bastille Day, or the Fourteenth of July, is the symbol of the end of the monarchy and the beginning of the Republic. The national holiday is a time when all citizens celebrate their membership to a republican nation. It is because this national holiday is rooted in the history of the birth of the Republic that it has such great significance. For all citizens of France, the storming of the Bastille symbolizes, liberty, democracy and the struggle against all forms of oppression.

To everyone in France, Bastille Day today represents the solemn military parade up the Champs Elysées, in Paris, in the presence of the head of state, the President of the Republic. The Champs-Élysées decorated with flags for the 14 July. Jacques Chirac reviewing troops on the 2003 Bastille Day parade.

The parade opens with:  cadets from certain schools.  Then other infantry troops;  motorised troops;  and the aviation of the Patrouille de France flies above. The parade also involves the French Republican Guard, and occasionally (non-military) police units; it always ends with the much-cheered and popular Paris Fire Brigade (which, exceptionally, has military status in France). Claude Monet, Rue Montorgueil, Paris, Festival of 30 June 1878

It is also a holiday on which each commune holds a local dance and fireworks.

Population: 60,656,178 (July 2005 est.) Religions: Roman Catholic 83-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5-10%, unaffiliated 4% Capital: Paris Flag description: Le Tricolore Currency: euro (EUR) French Fact-file The blue, white, and red French flag took shape during the French Revolution. The three colours represent the Republic's three ideals: égalité, fraternité et liberté. (Liberty, Equality and Fraternity)

Bastille Day Sarah Crocker Why not celebrate Bastille Day on 14 July by taking the chance to explore the history and influence of French cuisine?