You may already know our Bastille Day block party is a decades-long Boston tradition that welcomes 2,000 people each year for live music, delicious food, and fun. But how much more do you know? Read on to learn about this important French holiday, its origins and traditions, and a few fun facts!
La Prise de la Bastille

The Bastille was also an arsenal and prison that came to represent royal tyranny. It held political dissidents like Voltaire, the Marquis de Sade, and the mysterious, but real, Man in the Iron Mask - often without trial.
Two days after the French Revolution began, a mob of angry revolutionists broke into the fortress in search of weapons and gunpowder. Although only seven prisoners were present and freed, the event had a significant impact. It signaled that the monarchy was vulnerable and marked the beginning of la République française and subsequent downfall of the royal regime.
Time to Party!

Like the Fourth of July in America, Bastille Day is a public holiday in France that is celebrated across the nation with parties, parades, fireworks, French flags, and the singing of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise. France also celebrates Bastille Day with one of the world’s oldest annual military parades. French troops have marched along the Champs-Elysées each year since 1880. More than 4,200 soldiers, 200 vehicles, and 100 aircraft participate in this public display.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité !


Jamie Haslett
Former Director of Marketing
Originally from New Jersey, Jamie graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in International Business and a minor in French. She also completed a semester abroad in Marseille, France. Jamie fell in love with the French language as a child when her sister brought home a high school French book, and looks forward to continuing her education at the French Library.