La Fête Nationale – “Vive le 14 juillet!” (and Radio Show Promo)

BASTILLE DAY: July 14 is often called la fête nationale in France. You are invited to mark the occasion with John on Soundings, Friday, July 14 at 10:00 AM. Listen live at www.KRNN.org, 102.7fm, or 103.1fm.

As a preview the playlist includes: Revolution, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, Runnin Down A Dream, Golden Years, I Feel Free, High Time We Went, Out In The Street, Bright Side Of The Road, Rattled, Born To Be Bad, Bad Moon Raising, Hard To Handle, Join Togebther, Move Over, It’s All Over Now, one Way Or Another, Communication Breaadown, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

French National Day, is celebrated on July 14. The day is observed to commemorate the fall of the Bastille. The Bastille, which was built as a mediaeval fortification, was later converted into a governmental jail. Political prisoners who had been arrested for trial by the police were frequently kept there. Some convicts were detained on the king’s express instruction, which was unarguable. On July 14, 1789, a mob attacked the Bastille to release seven prisoners. The act marked the beginning of the French Revolution.

In 1880, France declared the 14th of July a national holiday. In France, the festival is known as Fête Nationale, and it also serves as a symbol of national unity. Meanwhile, in English-speaking countries, the French national holiday is known as Bastille Day.

France’s national day is not really about the storming of the Bastille, and the day’s English-language name conveys a misleading image. But it gives us an interesting glimpse into how the English-speaking world imagines France’s revolutionary past.

In 1789 people were unhappy with King Louis XVI’s reign, which had been dominated by food shortages and high taxes. After outbreaks of violence on the streets of Paris, an armed mob surrounded Bastille on the morning of 14 July.

They stormed the prison and as word spread, the French Revolution was born. The monarchy was eventually overthrown and Louis XVI and his wife Queen Marie Antoinette were executed.

The French flag and national anthem are symbolic of both the revolution and Bastille Day celebrations. The Fete de la Federation, is the country’s showpiece event.

SOURCE: Australia Broadcasting, B.B.C