Tag: french

Bastille Day

In France, they are celebrating Bastille Day today. Bastille Day commemorates the day of July 14, 1789, when a mob stormed the notorious prison and fortress and freed seven confused convicts. It seemed a good idea at the time. To be honest, I am not sure why Bastille Day should be the National Day of France, comparable to our own Fourth of July. The storming of the Bastille wasn’t really that important, and it certainly does not mark the beginning of the French Revolution. I would think that the logical point to consider the beginning of the Revolution might be June 20, 1789, when the representatives of the Third Estate walked out of the Estates-General and met at a tennis court across the street to create the National Assembly. But it’s their country so the French get to decide when to celebrate.

Anyway here’s to France.

La Marseillaise is my favorite national anthem. Vive le France.

Bastille Day

In France, they are celebrating Bastille Day today. Bastille Day commemorates the day of July 14, 1789, when a mob stormed the notorious prison and fortress and freed seven confused convicts. It seemed a good idea at the time. To be honest, I am not sure why Bastille Day should be the National Day of France, comparable to our own Fourth of July. The storming of the Bastille wasn’t really that important, and it certainly does not mark the beginning of the French Revolution. I would think that the logical point to consider the beginning of the Revolution might be June 20, 1789, when the representatives of the Third Estate walked out of the Estates-General and met at a tennis court across the street to create the National Assembly. But it’s their country so the French get to decide when to celebrate.

Anyway here’s to France.

La Marseillaise is my favorite national anthem. Vive le France.

Bastille Day

In France, they are celebrating Bastille Day. The day in 1789 that mobs stormed the notorious prison fortress and freed seven confused convicts. I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. Anyway here’s to France.

France has a really cool national anthem.

Cinco de Mayo

On this date in 1862, the Mexicans defeated an invading French army at the Battle of Puebla. This might not sound like much, these are the French we’re talking about, but in fact, the French had the best army in the world at that time. The Mexican forces were outnumbered two to one and out gunned, yet they managed to rout the French. So, the Mexicans have been celebrating the fifth of May, or Cinco de Mayo, ever since.

This holiday has spread here in the United States in recent years. At first, I objected to celebrating a “foreign” holiday, but then I reconsidered. We celebrate St. Patrick’s day for the Irish, Mardi Gras for the French and others, Columbus Day for the Italians, etc, so why not Cinco de Mayo for the Mexican-Americans. Besides, any holiday that celebrates the French getting their butts kicked is worth keeping.

Bastille Day

In France they are celebrating Bastille Day. The day in 1789 when mobs stormed the notorious prison fortress and freed seven confused convicts. I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. Anyway here’s to France.

I don’t much care for the French, but I have to admit they have a really cool national anthem.

Cinco de Mayo

On this date in 1862, the Mexicans defeated an invading French army at the Battle of Puebla. This might not sound like much, these are the French we’re talking about, but in fact, the French had the best army in the world at that time. The Mexican forces were outnumbered two to one and out gunned, yet they managed to rout the French. So, the Mexicans have been celebrating the fifth of May, or Cinco de Mayo, ever since.

This holiday has spread here in the United States in recent years. At first, I objected to celebrating a “foreign” holiday, but then I reconsidered. We celebrate St. Patrick’s day for the Irish, Mardi Gras for the French and others, Columbus Day for the Italians, etc, so why not Cinco de Mayo for the Mexican-Americans. Besides, any holiday that celebrates the French getting their butts kicked is worth keeping.

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