Bastille Day

Bastille Day, known in France as le 14 Juillet or la Fête Nationale, is the French national day celebrated each year on 14 July. It commemorates two foundational events of the French nation: the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, a turning point in the French Revolution, and the Fête de la Fédération of 14 July 1790, which symbolised national unity following the revolutionary upheavals. The day is marked throughout France by public festivities, military ceremonies and communal celebrations, with the Parisian celebrations on the Champs-Élysées regarded as the most prominent.

Historical Background: The Storming of the Bastille (1789)

By 1789 France was mired in financial crisis and political tension, divided between reformist forces and defenders of the ancien régime. The revival of the Estates-General in May 1789 quickly escalated into confrontation when members of the Third Estate proclaimed themselves the National Assembly. The Tennis Court Oath on 20 June marked their determination to draft a constitution.
On 11 July Louis XVI dismissed his finance minister, Jacques Necker, who was widely supported by reformists. The decision provoked unrest in Paris, where fears grew that royal troops or foreign mercenaries would attack the population. On the morning of 14 July 1789, crowds seized arms from the Hôtel des Invalides, then moved to the Bastille, a fortress-prison long associated with arbitrary royal authority through the use of lettres de cachet.
Despite the Bastille containing only seven prisoners—all of minor political relevance—the fortress held symbolic significance. Reinforced by mutinous soldiers of the Gardes Françaises, the crowd overwhelmed the defenders. After initial resistance, the governor, Bernard-René de Launay, capitulated to avoid further bloodshed. Confusion led to renewed violence, resulting in the deaths of de Launay, several defenders and the prévôt des marchands, Jacques de Flesselles. The fall of the Bastille became a defining moment, symbolising the people’s challenge to absolute monarchy.
In the weeks that followed, major reforms reshaped France: the abolition of feudalism on 4 August and the proclamation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen on 26 August 1789.

The Fête de la Fédération (1790)

Plans for a national celebration began soon after the storming of the Bastille, intended to reaffirm national unity. Numerous proposals emerged, including one by the textile worker Clément Gonchon. The National Assembly ultimately organised the Fête de la Fédération, held on 14 July 1790 at the Champ de Mars, which at the time lay outside central Paris.
Preparation of the vast site required significant labour. On the Journée des brouettes (“Day of the Wheelbarrow”), thousands of Parisians volunteered to complete earthworks and construction.
On the day itself, under heavy rain, the National Guard marched from the Boulevard du Temple to the Champ de Mars, where approximately 260,000 spectators gathered. A mass was celebrated by Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Bishop of Autun. Marquis de Lafayette, commander of the National Guard, swore an oath to the constitution, followed by King Louis XVI, symbolising a brief moment of unity between monarchy and nation. The festivities continued for days, marked by public feasts, fireworks and exuberant celebrations.

Revival of the National Holiday in the Third Republic

After the turbulent nineteenth century, the symbolism of 14 July regained prominence. A celebration in 1878 honoured the Republic, later immortalised in Claude Monet’s painting of the Rue Montorgueil festival. Another semi-official celebration took place in 1879, accompanied by public festivities across France.
The French Third Republic sought a unifying national holiday, with several dates proposed, including 4 August (abolition of feudalism), 5 May (opening of the Estates-General), 27 July (fall of Robespierre) and 21 January (execution of Louis XVI). On 21 May 1880, politician Benjamin Raspail formally proposed making 14 July the national festival, supported by Léon Gambetta and intellectuals such as Henri Baudrillart.
Debate followed over how to interpret the date, given that the storming of the Bastille involved illegal action and violence. To avoid anchoring the national holiday solely in revolutionary bloodshed, legislators framed its meaning as commemorating both the popular uprising of 1789 and the peaceful, unifying festival of 1790. The law establishing the holiday was adopted on 27 and 29 June and promulgated on 6 July 1880.

The Bastille Day Military Parade

The Bastille Day military parade is one of the most recognisable features of the celebration. Held annually in Paris since 1880, and on the Champs-Élysées since 1918, it is the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe. The parade proceeds from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, where the President of France, government officials and foreign dignitaries preside.
During the German occupation (1940–1944), the ceremony took place in London under General Charles de Gaulle. In 2020, the traditional parade was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though a modified ceremony was held.
Military parades are also organised in French garrison towns such as Toulon and Belfort, enabling local participation in the national celebration.

Celebrations in France and Abroad

Across France, Bastille Day is celebrated with fireworks, concerts, communal meals, public dances (bals des pompiers) and civic ceremonies. The celebrations underscore national identity and public spirit.
Several other countries also mark the occasion, reflecting historical and cultural ties with France. In Belgium, the city of Liège has celebrated Bastille Day since the end of the First World War due to its decoration with the Légion d’Honneur for its resistance during the Battle of Liège. Celebrations there often exceed the scale of Belgium’s own national holiday festivities, attracting tens of thousands of participants and culminating in fireworks and traditional dances.