Celebrate Bastille Day

July 14 is a national holiday in France, a day of celebration. The date commemorates Bastille Day, the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789 that saw an uprising where people stormed the Bastille prison, protesting oppression and calling for liberty, equality and fraternity for all French citizens.

In English-speaking countries, the day is known as Bastille Day. In France the day is formally known as Fête Nationale Française, which translates as French National Celebration, or informally as Quatorze Juillet, which translates as July 14th.

One of the focal events in France on this day is a military parade along Paris’s Champs- Elysées. The parade was first held on July 14, 1880, and is the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe. In the evening the sky erupts with fireworks and revellers around the country dance the night away.

Of course, no celebration would be complete without fabulous French food and wine. Mornington Peninsula Magazine’s Bastille Day feature makes it easy to find something deliciously French to enjoy. Bon appétit!