Bastille Day 2022

Today’s Doodle celebrates Bastille Day, also known as la Fête de la Fédération (Festival of the Federation) and le Quatorze Juillet (14th of July) in France and is illustrated by Paris-based artist Julia Spiers. On this day in 1789, French citizens stormed the Bastille, a royal prison fortress and political symbol that marked the first victory and started the French Revolution. 

Ruled by King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, France was in a state of disarray and agitation throughout the 1780’s. After inheriting an enormous debt from his predecessor, Louis XVI continued to spend lavishly despite the threat of economic disaster. To make matters worse, unemployment was at an all time high and crop shortages caused a nationwide famine. It’s rumored that Marie Antoinette said, “Let them eat cake!” in response to these issues, proving just how out of touch she was with the people.

Although only seven inmates were imprisoned in the fortress, a mob approached the Bastille on the morning of July 14th. By afternoon, French citizens sieged the prison with the help of some French guards sympathetic to the revolution. A few years later in 1793, the French First Republic was born.

In 1790, French citizens celebrated the one-year anniversary of the storming of the Bastille and called it the Festival of the Federation. In 1880, the French government recognized July 14th as a national holiday.

Freedom, Equality and Brotherhood are the three pillars of the French Republic, represented by the colors of the flag. Bastille Day embodies the French people’s fight against oppression and is celebrated throughout the country with festivities like military parades, free concerts and aircraft flyovers. A magnificent firework show is also displayed each year near the Eiffel Tower on the Champ de Mars.

Vive le 14 Juillet, et bonne fête nationale!