Bastille Day 2011: Paris Celebrates With Colorful Parades, Spectacular Air Displays (PHOTOS)

Paris was the scene of colorful military parades and spectacular air displays as proud citizens took to the Champs-Élysées avenue to celebrate Bastille Day.

Known in France as Fête Nationale, Bastille Day officially commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, which was held on the one-year anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, a Parisian prison that at the time housed only a handful of inmates but which had come to symbolize the tyranny of the Bourbon monarchs.

The storming, in term, signaled the beginning of the French Revolution.

Appearing at the festivities, President Nicolas Sarkozy dedicated this year's celebration to five French soldiers who lost their lives serving in Afghanistan.

Take a look at some photos of the spectacular celebrations here. Liberté, égalité, fraternité!

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Spectacular!

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Comments

[Baron hans Vongress]

09:56 PM on 07/20/2011

I wish we had the National Razor.
Who would be the 1st to get the close shave:
Every member of private business who caused the problems USA had to bail out, the guys & ladies of wall street, executives and then start on the government, all branches in my book.
Then come to PA and start with our morons in the house and senate and judges.
Corrupt politicians (hint they all are), lobbyists etc.
Only way America can ever return to glory.
Then take the wealth back from the greedy buggers.
Off with their heads....
Viva La France!

[bobwitmer]

07:55 PM on 07/20/2011

Vive La Legion Etragere! La Kepi Blanc still serves proudly.

[kimballh53]

02:47 PM on 07/20/2011

Magnificent pictures. The french know fanfare. Wish I had been there.

[David Charles DuBois]

11:22 AM on 07/20/2011

I am of French heritage from my father who's grandparents were French Canadian. I have been to France/Paris a few times, but haven't visited during the Bastille Day 'fete'. I'm very proud to be French and long to visit Paris next Bastille Day! Vive le FRANCE!

[TroopAbn]

02:57 AM on 07/18/2011

Maybe we should celebrate October 19th. In 1781 we defeated the British Army at Yorktown. Thanks to the French. Had French Admiral DeGrasse not bottled up the British Army on the Pennisula, they would have escaped. Instead, they were forced to surrender. On 3 September 1783 the official Treaty of Paris was signed, which made the USA an official country.

[McGyver1]

06:59 AM on 07/18/2011

Red, White and Blue !

[David Charles DuBois]

11:24 AM on 07/20/2011

Red, White, and Blue= American flag....Blue, White and Red= the flag of France!

[tapeatsbill]

11:58 PM on 07/17/2011

Thank you France for the Statue of Liberty!

[druschhai]

11:07 AM on 07/17/2011

Isn't it slightly ironic to have the a celebration with the State marching around in uniform on Bastille Day?

[bigmovieman]

02:11 PM on 07/16/2011

FYI, if your going to plan a trip to France don't try to spend your only day in Paris on July 14th as the main roads are closed as are many of the usual attractions. Not to mention the chaotic amount of people everywhere. Especially if you end up missing the parade and are in the wrong part of the city when the Fireworks go off...

Other then that, it was a pretty good trip...

[jan1760]

03:23 AM on 07/16/2011

Just like we celebrated our fourth of July. I suppose they are not worried about global warming with a 25 + min display of fireworks. Funny how is OK for the rest of the world to be proud of their country but here is in bad taste.

[santiago sherwood]

11:25 AM on 07/16/2011

no it is not in bad taste only if you suffer from the lies put forward by the liberals. We are not as wonderful as the conservatives say, but this is a wonderful if you take it all in. But it can be better.

[David Charles DuBois]

11:25 AM on 07/20/2011

WHAT?

[becky bradshaw]

08:26 PM on 07/15/2011

Bastille Day will one day be the most important holiday world-wide. In history, one or two hundred years is nothing!

[sophie M]

05:38 PM on 07/15/2011

my little girl's birthday.
she is so proud. .
she tells everyone .
cute. .

[flaconoire]

05:29 PM on 07/15/2011

Being of french origin (born there), I can see Sarko(ma) is wasting the money like any other, waving flag, military.......Flag days suck, in any country, just another occasion for "Number I syndrome", the spirit of the revolution as evaporated there, like here.

[gerald4]

05:17 PM on 07/15/2011

I thought that the Bastille was where the revolutionaries got the weapons for the revolution.

[MMRDO]

11:40 AM on 07/16/2011

It was a prison with a large armory. They freed a bunch of people and then turned the guns of the French Government. The storming of the Bastielle was necessary, the revolution itself turned out poorly.

[johngwc]

03:24 PM on 07/15/2011

I am of French, German, and Italian descent, a second generation American. I met many people from France, and liked everyone of them. My wife and I were in Niece, France, and always hoped to return. It was very beautiful and sophisticated. Now that our family is raised and on their own, we look forward to seeing the more of France, especially the countryside of which we read, saw in films and hear so much about. Viva La France!

[UneMondeNouveau]

02:07 PM on 07/15/2011

Hopefully, the last time Sarkozy presides over the festivities.