How to Watch a Bastille Day Parade

Bastille Day is the French Independence Day. Celebrated each year on July 14, the day marks the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris, an act that led to the French Revolution of 1789. Today, the day is celebrated with fireworks, feasts and above all, parades.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Wear Red, White and Blue. Look like a Frenchman--or woman--by wearing the colors of the French flag. For a festive touch, stencil little French flags on the side of your face.

2. Wave the Tricolore. The tri-colored flag of red, white and blue is a standard on Bastille Day parades routes. Pick up a small flag at a party supply store and wave at the floats, marchers and bands as they pass by.

3. Learn a few bars of the "Marseillaise." The French national anthem, the "Marseillaise," was written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792 and set to music by Hector Berlioz. The spirited hymn is an integral part of any Bastille Day parade.

4. Splurge on a trip to Paris. The largest--and most spectacular--Bastille Day parade is along the "Champs Elysees" in Paris. French flags line the route, the Eiffel Tower is ablaze with colored lights and planes drag plumes of red, white and blue smoke along the avenue. If you can't make it to Paris, New York City, San Francisco, Milwaukee and Philadelphia all host large Bastille Day parades.