As July 14 approaches, a question arises: will the traditional fireworks be part of the celebration? In some municipalities, the mayors have already made decisions in view of the fire risks that are looming this summer.
[Mise à jour du 5 juillet 2023 à 18h02]. There July 14 national holiday might not have the same flavor this year. Indeed, in some French municipalities affected by the drought, arrangements are made to replace, or even cancel, the traditional fireworks display on July 14. Some mayors fear that the shooting of fires will cause fires on their territory. However, these pyrotechnic shows in the sky are part of the symbols of the national holiday. What about at the national level?
Are the July 14 fireworks maintained this year?
For July 14, one of the traditions that we usually find in most municipalities is the firing of fireworks. While most cities are maintaining the tradition this year, some municipalities have decided to cancel their fireworks due to the drought and the risk of fires present.
This is the case at Perpignan in the Pyrénées-Orientales: the town hall has replaced its traditional July 14 fireworks display with a laser show to be held in the evening. It also introduced a prefectural decree to ban all fireworks this summer, even in private homes. Same decision in town of Pithiviers in Loiretor to Nimes who chose to organize an original air show with 200 drones. At the national level, for the time being, no decision to limit or ban the firing of fireworks has been taken by the government. So, if you live in a town on drought alert or at risk of fires, check with your town hall to find out if there are any changes to the July 14 program.
What day falls on the national holiday of July 14 in 2023?
This year, the 14th of july national holiday takes place on a friday. It is moreover a public holiday in the calendar.
What is the meaning of National Day?
The National Day in France celebrates a day in the year that refers to a significant event in the history of our country : the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. This historical fact symbolizes the fall of the absolute monarchy, and the beginning of the French Revolution.
What happened on July 14, 1789?
At the time, in 1789, France went through a period of major crisis. The French people demand change and write their complaints on complaints book, installed in town halls and transmitted to King Louis XVI. The tension in the streets rises little by little over the months. In the capital, in July 1789, royal troops deployed to protect Versailles and Paris. THE Parisians decide not to let it go and to retaliate with calls to arms.
THE July 14, 1789, part of the population goes to Invalides to take arms, before going to the prison of the Bastille to get gunpowder. The governor who is at the head of the royal prison, Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay, then commits his men to fire on the crowd. A bloody battle is then launched. The fortress is stormed by the people, it is the storming of the Bastille.
In general, July 14 is celebrated with family and friends around various activities : A voucher mealfollowed by a outdoor outing to attend balls, illuminations and the traditional fireworks. THE July 14 military parade on the Champs-Élysée in Paris is also very symbolic on the day of the national holiday, it is transcribed live on television. If you have children, you can also keep them busy by offering them manual activities or coloring. Here are our DIYs on Hugo the snail for July 14:
What are the symbols of July 14?
Several symbols surround the national holiday:
- THE military parade on the Champs-Élysées which brings together different corps of the French Army.
- THE fireworks launched at nightfall.
- THE tricolor blue, white, red
- I’national anthem La Marseille
- The national motto “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”
There is also the rooster, or even Marianne, which are part of the emblems of the French Republic.