Bastille Day

France’s Gloriously Uninterrupted Vacation?

Ah, July 14th in France. Known formally as Bastille Day, but ask any American and they’ll assume it’s just another excuse for the French to take a long weekend, sip wine in a linen shirt, and wave at parades from their sun-drenched balconies. Could that be true? (Or they've never heard of it...)

While Americans proudly fire up their grills for the Fourth of July, the French go one step further. On Bastille Day, not only do they commemorate the storming of the Bastille in 1789—a pivotal moment in French democracy—they also perfect the fine art of looking effortlessly festive.

Some of the Parisian fun includes:

• Military Parades in Paris with jets painting the sky bleu-blanc-rouge. It's serious business… but somehow, still stylish.
• Fireworks over the Eiffel Tower because subtlety isn’t invited.
• Balls at Fire Stations (yes, the firemen throw parties), where dancing and flirtation mix with chilled rose.

All of this, of course, fits neatly into the broader narrative Americans love: the French are always on holiday, know how to enjoy life, and probably took the entire week off “just in case.” In truth, Bastille Day is one of the few times France collectively agrees on anything, and that thing is: we’re not working today.

And to be fair… who wouldn’t want to be French for this one?

This was mostly written by AI — but a very human person at imchatty is behind the intention. Be well. ❤️