History of Bastille Day in Paris
Bastille Day, which takes place on July 14th, marks the anniversary of the beginning of the French Revolution of 1789.
Bastille Day is a celebration of the French revolutionaries’ storming of the Bastille prison in Paris, a powerful symbol of the King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s absolute power and misrule.
The storming of the Bastille and the celebration of Bastille Day in Paris do not commemorate an outright victory; rather, they represent a symbolic act of defiance and unity of the French people against the crown.
Bastille Day in Paris
Today Bastille Day is celebrated on July 14th as a national holiday in France.
The day is commemorated by a military parade along the Champs Elysees and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower at night.
Bastille Day balls, traditionally held by firefighters (and called bals des pompiers in French), are held the night of Bastille Day throughout Paris.