Bastille Day

(July 13, 2011) Tomorrow is Bastille Day, the French National Day which is celebrated on July 14 of each year. It also is my second son's birthday who coincidentally graduated from the American University in Paris and also married a girl from Paris.

In France, Bastille Day formally is called La Fête Nationale (The National Celebration) and commonly le quatorze juillet (the 14th of July). It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution.

Festivities and official ceremonies are held all over France. The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of July 14 on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the president of the Republic, French officials and foreign guests.

So, national celebrations continue this month. Check out Recorder Community Newspapers for what else is happening on these lazy, hazy days of summer. The online blogs here also post some interesting activities and thoughts.

Anyone interested in joining the 60+ Recorder bloggers is invited to contact me at (908) 832-7420 or e-mail panderson@recordernewspapers.com. Blogging is a free, simple 21st century interactive communication tool. All you need is an Internet connection device and a an e-mail.