How to Celebrate Bastille Day in Washington, D.C.

Bastille Day, celebrated each July 14th, is the national holiday of France. This holiday, known to the French as "Fete Nationale" ("National Holiday") or "Quatorze Juillet" ("14th of July"), is held to commemorate the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, during the French Revolution. This act is symbolic of the end of the French monarchy and the beginning of the modern French nation, so it is considered to be the birthday of France in much the same way that July 4th is considered to be the birthday of the United States. Bastille Day is celebrated in the U.S. as well, especially in areas where there is a large French-speaking population, as there is in the Washington, D.C. area.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Watch the famous Bastille Day Waiter's Races, held every July 14th. Waiters holding trays with bottles of water and beer (one-handed!) race down Pennsylvania Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets. Patrons' and children's races are also held before the main event, so even non-food service industry professionals can get in on the fun.

2. Enjoy the festivities held at Brasserie Les Halles, the restaurant sponsoring the annual Waiter's Races. Every year the restaurant features live music, can-can dancers, and other special events, as well as a special menu for the 11-day "Liberty Festival" that lasts from the Fourth of July through Bastille Day. In case the scene at Les Halles is a bit too hectic for you, another local restaurant featuring Bastille Day specials is Cafe la Ruche.

3. Purchase your tickets well in advance for the Alliance Francaise Bastille Day celebration as it tends to sell out quickly. This event features French music, French cheeses and pates, and plenty of French champagne (the only real kind).

4. Plan to celebrate Bastille Day at the Embassy of France. This evening affair includes a buffet dinner, French cooking demonstrations, a silent auction, music and dancing, and tickets may be ordered online at the embassy's website.

5. Visit the exhibit of 19th-century French painting at the National Gallery of Art. Featured works of art include paintings by Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Gauguin and Degas. After you've admired these masterpieces (tres jolie!), you can relax with a cup of coffee and a croissant, napoleon, or "glace" (okay, gelato) at the Pavilion or Cascade Cafes.

Tips & Warnings

• The weather is apt to be either hot and humid or stormy in Washington, D.C. in July, so prepare appropriately.

Resources

• Bastille Day at the French Embassy
• Alliance Française de Washington
• Brasserie Les Halles
• Cafe la Ruche
• 19th Century French Painting at the National Gallery of Art