by Amela

Created on: July 30, 2009   Last Updated: August 01, 2009

Celebrating the Fourteenth of July - Bastille Day - in Paris, France

The Fourteenth of July is the National Holiday of France. On this day, the population of France celebrates Bastille Day. It commemorates the 1790 Fete de la Federation, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789. On the Fourteenth of July, the three principles of liberte, egalite et fraternite - in English, freedom, equality and brotherhood - are celebrated.

The capital of France, Paris, has one of the biggest celebrations of France on this day. The celebrations begin on the 13th, when in the evening all firestations of the city are open (just like in the rest of the country), and the firefighters organize dance parties in the firestations. Regular people, as well as firefighters, police, and military from all branches attend the parties, that go on until the early morning. These dance parties are held on the 13th and the 14th, in most firestations on both nights. For more information you can visit the website of the firefighters of Paris, www.pompiers-paris.fr. A few weeks in advance the calendar of parties is posted on there. There is also a party on the Bastille square on the evening of the 13th, and there are some other parties in town.

Make sure you arrive in Paris rested and fit. After the party on the 13th, you might want to get up early in the morning on the 14th, to go to the Champs-Elysees to see the military parade. The parade starts at 10 o'clock in the morning, is led by the President and accompanied overhead by jets in formation. The military and firemen march from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde.

There might also be a music festival on the Champ de Mars during that day, and other festivities. Please check the local papers and the website www.paris.fr for more information.

If you want do some sightseeing, you can for example climb the Eiffel Tower, or go up with the elevator. The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for a World Fair in 1889. It is the tallest building in Paris, 300.51 meters high. From the Eiffel Tower you can see the entire town. Especially if you are going to climb the Tower and if it is hot, remember to take water or milk, and some bread or bananas to be able to do the climb. The number of steps walkable by visitors - from Ground level to the second floor - is 704.

In the evening, there is a gigantic fireworks show with music at the Trocadero. The fireworks

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