July 14: Bon Bastille Day! …and Birthday Suit Day!

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bonjour! Bienvenu a Bastille Day!

(ok, it’s probably obvious by now that I do not speak French – I minored in Spanish as an undergrad). Still, I want to be in the spirit (esprit du cheer?) of the day. France has contributed innumerable delicious, decadent items to the culinary world, but I am most grateful for the bottled bubbly. Merci beaucoup! So, let the celebrations begin! Food Network offers several delightful recipes for champagne cocktails to enjoy throughout the day.

Bastille Day is celebrated every July 14th. Below is a brief summary of the holiday and its history, from France.fr:

“Commemorating the storming of the Bastille on 14th July 1789, Bastille Day takes place on the same date each year. The main event is a grand military parade along the Champs-Élysées, attended by the President of the Republic and other political leaders. It is accompanied by fireworks and publics dances in towns throughout the whole of France.

1789, Storming of the Bastille

With les États Généraux (the Estates General), summoned in spring 1789, becoming l’Assemblée nationale constituante (The National Constituent Assembly), and Paris experiencing unrest, the direct cause of this initial uprising of the people of Paris was the dismissal of Necker, a popular Minister, by Louis XVI. On the morning of 14th July, the people of Paris took weapons from les Invalides (L’Hôtel national des Invalides, the National Residence of the Invalids) and headed towards the old royal fortress of Bastille. It was seized following bloody gunfire, and the prisoners released. The King quickly surrendered: he reinstated Necker and acknowledged new Parisian leaders: Mayor Bailly and le commandant de la garde nationale (Commander of the National Guard), La Fayette.

1790, la Fête de la Fédération (Celebration of the Federation)

On 14^th July 1790, the demolition of the fortress of Bastille was completed and 260,000 Parisians, along with the King, the Queen consort and delegates from all administrative departments, celebrated the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on the Champ de Mars. Known as the Fête de la Fédération, it celebrated the short-lived success of the constitutional monarchy.

1880, 14^th July becomes Bastille Day

Thereafter, 14^th July celebrations were abandoned until, under the Third Republic, the 14^th July was declared as a national holiday by the law of 6^th July 1880. In order to affirm the recovery of France following the 1870 defeat, emphasis is placed on the patriotic and military nature of the celebration, which begins on the night of the 13^th with the retraite aux flambeaux (a re-enactment of the storming of the Bastille, which sees people carrying torch flames). The following day, church bells signal the military parade. Dances and fireworks conclude the day. 14^th July has officially been the French Bastille Day since 1880. For the French, it symbolises the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of the Republic.”

To learn more about the l’histoire, visit Bastille-day.com, which offers several pages of interesting facts.

As you are enjoying the libations du liberté, you may want to consider the other celebration today – National Nude Day. Want to learn the naked truth about nude recreation? Visit the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR). Or, see a clip (below) from Father Ted, concerning a certain sleepwalking Nudie Father Jack.

Cheers!

Related articles

• Bastille Day -The French National Day (jacqueslabrasserie.wordpress.com)
• Truth behind France’s Bastille Day (oddonion.com)
• Commemorating The Storming Of The Bastille On July 14, 1789 (smmirror.com)
• Common French Holidays and the Meanings (french.answers.com)
• How To Throw a Bastille Day Fête: French Blogger Mimi Thorisson’s Top Tips (thevivant.com)
• Bastille Day – Fireworks on French Riviera (helionly.wordpress.com)
• Vive La France! Here’s How To Celebrate Bastille Day All Weekend Long (refinery29.com)
• Nude beaches are for lounging; Nude hiking is for the adventurous (collegian.com)

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