Fête Nationale

France’s national day is on 14 July and is usually called le 14 Juillet in everyday speech. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789 and, more broadly, the French Revolution. The best-known public ritual is the military parade in Paris on the Champs-Élysées, watched by the president and broadcast live on television. Units of the armed forces march down the avenue, aircraft fly overhead in formation, and the Patrouille de France often leaves blue, white, and red trails in the sky. Across France, town halls also organize official ceremonies, flag-raising, or wreath-laying, so the day combines national symbolism with very local events.

The celebration continues well beyond the morning parade. On the evenings of 13 July and 14 July, many fire stations host bals des pompiers, popular dance parties where people come for music, drinks, and a festive neighborhood atmosphere. In Paris, crowds gather around the Champ-de-Mars and the Trocadéro area for the big fireworks display associated with the Eiffel Tower, while smaller towns stage their own feu d’artifice near parks, rivers, or public squares. Families and friends often meet for picnics, apéritifs, or outdoor dinners before the fireworks begin. You will also hear patriotic music, especially La Marseillaise, and see plenty of blue, white, and red decorations.

The pack has 36 words spread across these domains.