How do the French celebrate Bastille Day?

Question

How do the French celebrate Bastille Day and why is it important to them? If you could help me that would be great!

Answer 1

Public holiday, lots of feasting and dancing in the streets and firework displays. It marks the beginning of the French Revolution, which in turn led to the institution of the French Republic. The biggest celebration is in Paris, where it all started. http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.ht...

Answer 2

like Americans do on the 4th of July.

Answer 3

Festivities are held the morning of 14 July, the largest on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic.

The parade opens with cadets from the École Polytechnique, Saint-Cyr, École Navale, and so forth, then other infantry troops, then motorised troops; aviation of the Patrouille de France flies above. In recent times, it has become customary to invite units from France's allies to the parade; in 2004 during the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, British troops (the band of the Royal Marines, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Grenadier Guards and King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery) led the Bastille Day parade in Paris for the first time, with the Red Arrows flying overhead.[1]

Traditionally, the students of the École Polytechnique set up some form of joke.

The president used to give an interview to members of the press, discussing the situation of the country, recent events and projects for the future. Nicolas Sarkozy, elected president in 2007, has chosen not to give it. The President also holds a garden party at the Palais de l'Elysée.

Bastille Day falls during the Tour de France and is traditionally a day on which French riders try to take a stage victory for France, working harder than they might otherwise.

Article 17 of the Constitution of France gives the President the authority to pardon offenders, and since 1991 the President has pardoned many petty offenders (mainly traffic offences) on 14 July. In 2007, President Sarkozy declined to continue the practice

More on :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Da...

Answer 4

Public execution using a guillotine !