by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: July 06, 2009   Last Updated: July 12, 2009

Bastille Day is for the French, what July 4th is to Americans. It is a celebration of their country's independence. For the French, it signified the start of the French Revolution. The sky is the limit as to what one can do. It can be a simple family get together where you barbecue outside, or it can be a party with a theme. The theme can be related to French history, or it can be something related to the present time. One possibility is to have a "Let them eat cake" party.

*WHAT TYPE OF CELEBRATION? -

Deciding on the type of celebration will make it possible to plan all of the other details. Do you want to have some sort of formal event such as a dance, or do you want to have a more informal casual event? How many people will there be? Will there be children present?

*ESTABLISH A BUDGET -

Any time one is hosting a party, a celebration or any other type of event, it is important to establish a budget. By creating a budget, one is forced to stick to the constraints of the budget and to plan accordingly. It may mean sacrificing something in order to be able to do something else. In the end, it gives a structure to the event that might not otherwise be present.

*PLAN A MENU -

Planning a menu ahead of time will ensure that there is no last minute chaos. It will also mean that there is no question about what to have. As part of planning the menu, make a list of every ingredient that you will need. It is a good idea to plan a menu that will allow you to purchase many or most items ahead of time. Be sure to plan the menu far enough in advance to be able to shop for the staples bit by bit.

*SHOP WELL ENOUGH IN ADVANCE -

Shopping in advance will help you make sure you don't forget anything. Purchase all non-perishable items well in advance. Purchase perishable items such as fruit and vegetables when they are at the peak of freshness.

*PLAN ACTIVITIES -

Plan the activities you may have as part of your celebration ahead of time. If you want to listen to music, plan that ahead of time. Consider burning songs to a single CD so that you don't need to fumble through many CDs. Be sure to have the CD player ready to go. If you want to have outdoor (or indoor games,) available for people to play, make sure that you've got all the necessary supplies.

*HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER -

If you are going to have an outdoor celebration, you should have an alternative plan that can be used as a backup in case of rain. If there are too many people

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