Happy Bastille Day!

[Karen]

To our French copains!

[Barbara]

Have fun at the fireworks- and don't forget to leave the kitties in

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

That's right!!! July 14th is the equivalent of "4th of July" in France! They call it "Le quatorze juillet"

[Killearn Kitties]

Any excuse for a party! Let's have a glass of champagne while we watch the fireworks!

[Pinot's Mom]

http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa071400.htm

Bonne fête du 14 juillet

[Sonia59]

Merci!
It's funny that you call it the Bastille day, I did not know that (one more English term I have learned from PT ). We just call it "le quatorze juillet", as Lut has said, or "fête nationale".
There have been fireworks everywhere. We are lucky Peppito and Jasmine just don't care. They are not scared at all Good kitties.

Now living near Paris, I would have loved to watch a nice fireworks and take pics, but it won't be for this year. It's too late for Valentine who has to go to bed earlier so we stayed home Next year may be!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Merci!
It's funny that you call it the Bastille day, I did not know that (one more English term I have learned from PT ). We just call it "le quatorze juillet", as Lut has said, or "fête nationale".

How interesting....it reminds me of a letter to the editor I saw last week (I DO live in Orange County, CA...the land the liberals forgot) complaining that we call our national holiday 4th of July instead of Independence Day!

[phesina]

Happy 14th of July to all our French friends!

And here all this time I thought it was called Bastille Day there. and when I just Googled, or rather Goodsearched, "french flag pictures quatorze juillet", what do I read on one link but "... on the eve of the Quatorze juillet (vulgarly called Bastille Day by foreigners) ..." Well, ex-CU-U-U-U-SE ME!

Anyway... Laissez les bons temps roulez! (or is that just for New Orleans?) .. well, whatever is appropriate!!!!!..

[phesina]

How interesting....it reminds me of a letter to the editor I saw last week (I DO live in Orange County, CA...the land the liberals forgot) complaining that we call our national holiday 4th of July instead of Independence Day!

And just think, then we could observe Independence Day on the nearest Friday or Monday to make a long weekend out of it like we do for most holidays!. But somehow it just doesn't sound right to say this year the 4th of July was on the 3rd (even though it was, as that was the day offices were closed and people had the day off work).

[Karen]

We were always taught by our French teachers that it was Bastille Day! Lady's Human who had the same French teachers I did, confirmed to me that that is what they taught us! And one did NOT argue with Mme. Cassavante.

[Edwina's Secretary]

And one did NOT argue with Mme. Cassavante.

Just think...next class reunion you get to tell Mme. Cassavante...that according to a French citizen...she is wrong!

What fun after all these years!

[Lady's Human]

Mme. Cassavante WAS a French citizen..........

She was our French teacher. She taught French, and was a war bride from WW2. Her classes were about 50-60% French language, and the rest was French culture.

[Moesha]

Here's a picture from when I was in France that they said was what remained of the Bastille.

[Sonia59]

Perhaps Mme Cassavante was living for many years in the US, and took the English expression I have really never heard of the "Bastille Day".

And here all this time I thought it was called Bastille Day there. and when I just Googled, or rather Goodsearched, "french flag pictures quatorze juillet", what do I read on one link but "... on the eve of the Quatorze juillet (vulgarly called Bastille Day by foreigners) ..." Well, ex-CU-U-U-U-SE ME!

No problem! Actually, I like it better than "quatorze juillet", as it refers to History

Anyway... Laissez les bons temps roulez! (or is that just for New Orleans?) .. well, whatever is appropriate!!!!!..

What does it mean??? I don't understand it and I have never heard of it it either, but I remember I've read it previously on PT, perhaps posted by you.

[Sonia59]

Here's a picture from when I was in France that they said was what remained of the Bastille.

It's correct. This is a miniature copy of the original castle, which was used as a prison when it was attacked on the 14th July 1789:


After the attack, it was completely dismantled and the stones were used to build other structures, such as the bridge "le pont de la concorde". This is why there is almost nothing left.


A detail for people interested in History: I always thought the 14th of July was celebrating the Bastille's attack, symbol of the French revolution. This is what I remember having learned at school. Actually Wikipedia says the 14th of July is celebrating the "fête de la fédération", which corresponds to the first anniversary of the Bastille's attack. So yesterday we did commemorate the 14th July 1790 and not the 14th July 1789!

I'm curious to know what my girl will learn at school in a few years!