WEBVTT - How Does Bastille Day Work?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff, Learn Bolga bam Here. Within the English speaking world,

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<v Speaker 1>the French national holiday commemorating the anniversary of the storming

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<v Speaker 1>of the Bastille is commonly referred to as Bastille Day,

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<v Speaker 1>but it's not called that in France. There it's simply

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<v Speaker 1>called by its date, July fourteenth or cators julliet. And

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<v Speaker 1>I should put in here that I never took French,

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<v Speaker 1>but I looked everything up and I am trying many

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<v Speaker 1>apologies if I butcher the language anyway. Because the holiday

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<v Speaker 1>is celebrated during the summer and is marked by fireworks,

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<v Speaker 1>many non French often mistake it for France's version of

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<v Speaker 1>an independence Day. While its history is similarly steeped in revolution,

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<v Speaker 1>this French national holiday is related to the birth of

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<v Speaker 1>the French Republic, and furthermore, it's not the day Louis

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<v Speaker 1>the sixteenth was guillotined, and it's not part of the

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<v Speaker 1>story of Les miserab though it did start with a

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<v Speaker 1>prison break sort of, when a group of Parisians stormed

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<v Speaker 1>the Bastille prison on the east side of Paris on

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<v Speaker 1>July fourteenth, nine. They wanted weapons, and ammunition. Some prisoners

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<v Speaker 1>were freed, but the actions of the protesters had much

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<v Speaker 1>farther reaching consequences. The event took place within an already

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<v Speaker 1>contentious political period during which the third estate uh non

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<v Speaker 1>nobles and non clergy, sought equal representation and expressed anger

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<v Speaker 1>at the burden of taxation. The Best Deal was a

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<v Speaker 1>symbol of the unchecked powers of the French monarchy. While

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<v Speaker 1>the bourgeoisie or middle class, made political moves, Unrest grew

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<v Speaker 1>in the capital among the working class, leading to the

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<v Speaker 1>events of July fourteen and eventually culminating in the toppling

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<v Speaker 1>of the French monarchy and the beheading of Louis sixteenth.

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<v Speaker 1>In its seventeen for the icle, this episode is based

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<v Speaker 1>on How Stuff Works. Spoke with Shanita Miller, interim executive

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<v Speaker 1>director at Alliance Francais Atlanta. She said the storming of

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<v Speaker 1>the Bastille Prison was considered a demonstration against political tyranny.

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<v Speaker 1>This was one of the most defining moments of the

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<v Speaker 1>French Revolution, although not as politically important as other revolutionary

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<v Speaker 1>happenings in France, like the formation of the National Assembly

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<v Speaker 1>and the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of

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<v Speaker 1>Man and the citizen on August six of the same year.

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<v Speaker 1>The Storming of the Bastille came to symbolize the French Revolution,

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<v Speaker 1>and despite the many changes the French government has gone

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<v Speaker 1>through since then, it's currently on its fifth republic. July

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<v Speaker 1>fourteenth was named as the country's national holiday, but the

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<v Speaker 1>storming of the Bastille in nine is not the only

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<v Speaker 1>thing honored by the French On July fourteenth, they also

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<v Speaker 1>celebrate another event that took place exactly one year later,

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<v Speaker 1>the Fete de la Feracion. At twelve months after the

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<v Speaker 1>storming of the Bastille, France was an estate of relative peace.

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<v Speaker 1>Louis the sixteenth continued to reign, although with fewer powers

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<v Speaker 1>and the aristocracy had lost all privileges, and changes had

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<v Speaker 1>also been made in the way the clergy operated, according

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<v Speaker 1>to the BBC. To mark this optimistic phase of the revolution,

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<v Speaker 1>authorities hosted the Fete de la Federacion on the one

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<v Speaker 1>year anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille, which included

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<v Speaker 1>a festival in Paris. Queen Marie Antoinette even displayed her

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<v Speaker 1>baby son and heir to the throne to the crowd.

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<v Speaker 1>It would take three more years for the monarchy to

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<v Speaker 1>be completely overthrown and totally abolished. It wasn't until seventeen

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<v Speaker 1>ninety three that Louis the sixteenth and Marie Antoinette were

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<v Speaker 1>sent to the guillotine for treason. So a few republics,

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<v Speaker 1>one emperor, and a restoration later. French leaders were interested

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<v Speaker 1>in finding a way to honor the beginning of republicanism

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<v Speaker 1>in France, and they looked back to July fourteenth. Whether

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<v Speaker 1>they were looking to the initial bestial event or the

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<v Speaker 1>fete was never explicitly stated. Nevertheless, in eighteen eighty the

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<v Speaker 1>official national holiday was declared. Miller said, July fourteenth commemorates

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<v Speaker 1>so many important moments in shaping a unified France. But

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<v Speaker 1>it's understandable why the French referred to this day by

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<v Speaker 1>its date instead of bestial Day. In France, calendars are

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<v Speaker 1>printed with Fette nacional on the date of July fourteenth.

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<v Speaker 1>Houstaff Works also spoke with Anna Cumby, a teacher who

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<v Speaker 1>lives in Toulouse, France. She said, the bestial day is

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<v Speaker 1>an English expression, I've never heard it used in French.

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<v Speaker 1>The word bastille now either refers to the neighborhood in

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<v Speaker 1>Paris where the Bastille once stood, or to the historical

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<v Speaker 1>event of the storming of the Bastille. Also, it's different

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<v Speaker 1>from the Fourth of July and that it's not necessarily

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<v Speaker 1>associated with being patriotic in the way Americans tend to be.

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<v Speaker 1>Our celebrations don't usually include flying French flags or wearing

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<v Speaker 1>them on our shirts, or singing the national anthem. Still

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<v Speaker 1>it's a big deal, especially in Paris. Under normal circumstances.

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<v Speaker 1>There are two days of celebration, with concerts, parades, and

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<v Speaker 1>other entertainment culminating in a thirty minute fireworks display set

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<v Speaker 1>off from the Eiffel Tower and the gardens of Rocadero.

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<v Speaker 1>Other French cities hosts similar celebrations, though they will be

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<v Speaker 1>muted this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. But if

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<v Speaker 1>you can't make it to France to take part in

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<v Speaker 1>the annual celebrations, there are plenty of options for Francophiles

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<v Speaker 1>around the world. Miller said, I always suggest looking up

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<v Speaker 1>your closest Aleance Francaise, Institute Francais or contacting local French restaurants.

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<v Speaker 1>These three groups will always find a way to celebrate

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<v Speaker 1>France's national day. Today's episode is based on the article

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<v Speaker 1>a Steel Day, the French holiday celebrating peace and revolution

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<v Speaker 1>on house to works dot com, written by carry wit Me.

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<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is production of my Heart Radio in partnership

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<v Speaker 1>with house stuffworks dot Com and it is produced by

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<v Speaker 1>Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the

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