Bastille day 2010 Celebrations

New York (GaeaTimes.com) Bastille Day is the day to celebrate the anniversary of storming of Bastille on July 14, 1789. It is a French national holiday observed on July 14th of each year. The day marks the uprising of the modern nation during the French Revolution. In France the day is formally called La Fte Nationale which means National Celebration. It is commonly called le quatorze juillet or the fourteenth of July in France.

The Bastille Fortress Prison was notorious for holding political prisoners during the reign of Louis XVI. The storming of the Bastille Fortress Prison is considered as a symbol of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy preceding the First Republic. Festivals are held today in front of the President of the Republic remembering the rebellion against monarchical absolutism.

Military parades are held on the morning of July 14th. It is the most popular contemporary celebration of the Bastille Day. Millions of French Citizens witness the largest parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue before the president of the Republic in Paris. In recent times, some of the France’s close allies are invited. Cadets from the US Military Academy paraded in 2002. After the parade, the president gives an interview to members of the press discussing the current situation of the country.

In the United States the day is celebrated among some French expats. Commonly there are some festivals arranged to celebrate the French culture. There will be a French Festival this month in New Orleans and Los Angeles will boast the ninth annual Bastille Day Festival in Elysian Park.