Bastille Day – What’s That?

Bastille Day is France’s national holiday – known in France as La Fête Nationale, celebrated each year on July 14th. It commemorates a major turning point in French history - the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris, on July 14, 1789 - which marked the beginning of the French Revolution. That Revolution spanned ten years and was a hugely significant period of political and social change in France. During that decade, the nation’s government, society, and even their role in Europe were all transformed.

At the time, France was bankrupt from financing wars (especially the American Revolution), and food prices had soared. Bread riots broke out as the monarchy remained detached from reality, living in opulence while people starved. Queen Marie Antoinette is often quoted as having said “Let them eat cake” when told the peasants had no bread – though historians widely agree she never actually said it.

The Bastille was a medieval fortress and prison in Paris, seen as a symbol of the absolute power of the King, Louis XVI. The angry crowd of rioters stormed the Bastille and freed political prisoners as a protest against the inequality in society and the King’s power. This event ignited revolutionary movements across France and led to the fall of the monarchy, the rise of the Republic, and long-term democratic reforms. At the end of it, another famous figure, Napoleon Bonaparte came to prominence, in 1799.

Philosophers like Rousseau and Voltaire promoted the idea of “liberté, égalité, fraternité” which was then recorded in the ‘Declaration of the Rights of Man’ in 1789. This set out that all men were “free and equal in rights” and the old class system - which included privileges for nobility and clergy - was abolished.

Today, Bastille Day is a public holiday in France, marked with national pride and plenty of celebration. The day’s events include:

A military parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, attended by the French President (the oldest military parade in the world).

Fireworks, especially iconic ones over the Eiffel Tower.

Parties and concerts - the best-known of which is the ‘Bal des Pompiers’ (Firemen’s Ball) are held in towns and cities.

Patriotic displays including much waving of the flag and music - and enthusiastic singing of the French National Anthem ‘La Marseillaise’!

Eating and drinking traditional French foods and fine wines.

At Glengarry, Bastille Day is always on our radar. It's a moment to highlight some of the finest producers in Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux and beyond.