Celebrating France's National Holiday

Many people don't know that Bastille day, or "le quatorze Juillet" as it's more commonly called by the French, is their version of the American 4th of July. But what are they celebrating?

There were lots of events that lead into the French Revolution. But it's generally recognized that the events on the 14th of July 1789 was the beginning - and the reason for the celebration.

On that day, the revolutionary mob stormed the infamous Bastille prison where the kings had housed political prisoners for generations.

The interesting thing was, that Louis the XVI had only seven prisoners at the time, including the Marquis de Sade! They also lived in better conditions than most of the mob that freed the prisoners.

When we were in Paris last summer, we celebrated with the Parisians!

For more about our adventure, Celebrating Bastille Day.

Here's a video of the fireworks, disco style! Starts a bit slowly and is dark but works into a beautiful display, silhouetting the Eiffel Tower and the huge disco ball!

 

If you are planning a trip to Paris, or would like to, visit Paris Made Simple.