What does Bastille Day stand for?
It takes its origin on the storming of the Parisian prison called Bastille, on July 14, 1789. However, it was only in 1880, during the Troisieme Republique,that it was decided to choose the July 14 as the National Day but not to celebrate the storming of the Parisian prison but to commemorate the Fete de Federation, a party celebrating the unity of the French people, which took place on July 14, 1790. Storming of the Bastille  The event took place on July 14, 1789 amid a deep economic and political crisis, with an out-of-touch Lou-is XVI increasingly unable to manage anti-monarchist forces. The Bastille, a medieval fortress and prison, was a symbol of tyrannical Bourbon authority in central Paris and had held many political dissidents. The date marks the beginning of republican democracy and the end of tyrannical rule. After hours of negotiation and increasing frustration, the mob numbering just under 1,000 broke into the fortress. Following hours of fighting, they took the castle at the cost of nearly 100 assail-ants lives and one defenders. Fte de la Fdration  As early as 1789, the year of the storming of the Bastille, preliminary designs for a national festival were underway. These designs were intended to strengthen the countrys national identity through the celebration of the events of 14 July 1789. One of the first designs was proposed by Clment Gonchon, a French textile worker, who presented his design for a festival celebrating the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille to the French city administration and the public on 9 December 1789. There were other proposals and unofficial celebrations of 14 July 1789, but the official festival sponsored by the National Assembly was called the Fte de la Fdration. The Fte de la Fdration on 14 July 1790 was a celebration of the unity of the French nation during the French Revolution. The aim of this celebration, one year after the Storming of the Bastille, was to symbolize peace. The event took place on the Champ de Mars, which was located far outside of Paris at the time. A public holiday in France, the day is celebrated with an abundance of fireworks, communal eating and parades. Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, where the President of the French Republic, his government and foreign ambassadors to France stand. Bastille Day celebrations are held throughout France. The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of July 14, usually on the Champs-lyses in Paris, in front of the French President, along with other officials and foreign guests. This is a popular event in France, broad-cast on French TV, and is the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe. Vive la Republique, vive la France!