France · July 14, 2026

Bastille Day (La Fête Nationale)

July 14 — France’s national day, and the oldest military parade in Europe.

What happened

The French call it simply le quatorze juillet. The date marks 14 July 1789, and also the Fête de la Fédération a year later, which celebrated a united nation. The parade down the Champs-Élysées has been held on this date since 1880.

Why it stuck

"Liberté, égalité, fraternité" is one of the shortest statements of what a country is for that anyone has written. Worth comparing, side by side, with the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence.

What a family can do

Bleu, blanc, rouge on the table, and a crêpe. Say the three words and argue about which is hardest.

Questions to work through

1. Liberty, equality, fraternity. Put them in order of how hard they are to actually do, and defend your order.
2. Compare the French motto with the American "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". What is in one and not the other?
3. Find the Champs-Élysées on a map of Paris.