Celebrate France by eating well today.
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Elisabeth Sherman is a writer, editor, and fact-checker in the food, culture, and entertainment spaces. She has been working professionally at national magazines since 2015.
Published on July 14, 2017
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Today is Bastille Day – known in France as the National Celebration – a holiday that memorializes the 1798 Storming of the Bastille, a medieval fortress used, at the time, to house political prisoners. The event marked a positive turning point in the French Revolution (which overthrew the monarchy and established France as a republic, though it eventually led to Napoleon's dictatorship). Bastille Day also celebrates the Fête de la Fédération or the unity of the French people and a time of peace in the country, a year later.
The first Bastille Day celebration took place on July 14, 1879. A year later, Bastille Day celebrations became an official holiday. Since then, a military parade has been held in Paris to commemorate the occasion; since 1918 the parade has marched down the Champs-Elysees. The only time the parade did not take place was during the German occupation of France from 1940 to 1944, though General Charles de Gaulle held a separate ceremony in London to keep the tradition alive.
There are no official Bastille Day meals, but there's really no better way to honor France than by indulging in French food: A breakfast of pastries, crepes, brioche, and croissants would be fitting, followed by a quiche for lunch, pâté, and onion soup. There's no better day to indulge in rich cheese, flakey bread, savory tarts, and red wine at dinner. There's no right way to eat food on Bastille Day, as long as you're eating delicious, well made food – lots of it – and enjoying yourself. Here are 10 more ways people are celebrating Bastille Day with food.
This spread pays homage to the best finds at renowned bakery Ladurée.
A chrming creation of the French flag with food with a cameo from rosé.
The French version of some light snacks.
Macarons are a classic way to celebrate French desserts.
Champagne: A necessary addition to Bastille Day celebrations.
How the French do seafood.
What's a party without at least one decadent cake?
When it comes to celebrating France, you can never have too much cheese.
An eye-catching pink cake gets the French treatment with more macarons.
A layered shot gives drinking a French twist.
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