__Sparsh__
7/13/2008 7:04 pm
Last Read:
7/14/2008 10:42 pm
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In 1880, the 14th of July, or Bastille Day as it is also known, officially became France’s national day, in memory of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. This commemoration, whose purpose was to unite all the French around an altar to the mother country, was also a throwback to the Fête of the Federation of July 14, 1790, a symbol of national reconciliation. The popular merry-making to which it gave rise, ensured that it would last.
In the 21st century, the French national day can be described as a republican feast combined with a recreational fête. The parading of the troops before the Head of State, broadcast live on television, continues to attract television viewers of all ages, and the little public dances with bands perched on wooden platforms which had been erected the day before, draw all those who feel happy that ceremony does not encroach on merry-making.
The celebrations call for a host of common memories and hopes. Thus the 14th of July, reinforced by the impact that the history of the Republic and of Year One of liberty, which has become a legend, can have on the collective sensitivity of the French, will remain the national day for a long time yet.
  
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7/13/2008 7:04 pm
