Life
How To Celebrate Bastille Day
Viva la France! Bastille Day is here, and even if you're not in France, all you Francophiles can still party like it's 1789. Le quatorze juillet, better known among English speakers as Bastille Day, is a time to come together to commemorate the Storming of the Bastille as well as the Fête de la Fédération, the celebration of the unity of the French nation during the Revolution, in 1790. Between the French military parade down the Champs-Elysées, air shows in the Parisian skies, fireworks shows that light up the Eiffel Tower, and the many festivities in cities around the world, there are plenty of ways to celebrate La Fête Nationale.
If you have plans to throw your own soirée to honor the holiday, here's a roundup of Bastille Day party ideas that will get you and your guests in the spirit to celebrate Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. Go beyond go-to wine and cheese pairings and treat guests to refreshing apéritifs and French Revolution-themed cocktails. Serve up traditional French cuisine as well as some staples spiced up with a twist — like French onion cheese bread and cheddar croissant doughnuts — and discover all the things you can do with macarons. Remake your maison in all the red, white, and blue decorations the holiday calls for and impress with plentiful Parisian decor. Overcoming monarchial oppression is something we can all get behind, so come together to honor our common histories and throw a French fete like no other.
1. Send Out Invitations Full Of French Flair
Call on your friends to répondez, s'il vous plaît to your get-together with these screen-printed greeting cards. Complete with hand illustrated baguettes, bicycle, striped tee, and Eiffel Tower, the adorable design couldn't be better to get everyone in the mood to say, "Bonjour!"
Bonjour! Greeting Cards, $5.00, Vitamini
2. Adorn Your Door In Red, White, And Blue
Because of our common colors, you can reuse quite a lot of your Independence Day decorations to get in the French Revolution spirit. The circular adornments on this red, white, and blue wreath bring to mind the tricolor cockade rosette.
Patriotic Wreath, $42.00, Etsy
3. Welcome Guests With Light
Welcome your guests chez vous with this lovely lit sign. Boasting major retro vibes by way of art deco font, the fixture will immediately get passersby into the the groove of the Jazz Age.
Vintage Wooden Sign With Light, $45.62, Etsy
4. Decorate With Roses
Beautify your abode with these strung paper roses in red, white, and blue.
Patriotic Garland, $24.00, Etsy
5. Join The Revolution
Have every guest show their solidarity by donning a tricolor cockade, pinning it either to their blouse or lapel.
Les Miserables Cockade Rosette Pin, $9.12, Etsy
6. Set The Scene On The Seine
Easy to apply and remove, these mini Eiffel Towers make a bold statement, graphically setting the scene for your soirée.
Eiffel Tower Wall Decal, $18.00, Etsy
7. Find Your Inner Francophile
The Francophile in you will never get lost again with help from these Michelin maps from the 1960s. Hang them up as instant decoration with vintage appeal.
Vintage Paris Maps, $17.11, Etsy
8. Tag Your Vin
Help your wine lovers keep track of their glasses with these revolutionary tags. Originally intended for gifts, why not use the handcrafted vintage wine labels to adorn stems and combat confusion?
Wine Tags, $7.50, Etsy
9. Wrap Things Up
Make decorating a breeze with this gift wrap that can turn your books and framed art already around into pretty Parisian decor.
Paris Maps Gift Wrap, $14.00, Etsy
10. Brush Up On Your Français
Use these vintage French flash cards as table decor and conversation starters.
Vintage French Flash Cards, $3.00, Etsy
11. Play Pétanque
This French boules game, similar to bocce ball, originated in Provence and has now spread globally. Stir up a little friendly competition among guests.
French Petanque Set, $20.64, Etsy
12. Snap Parisian Pics
Don a beret, grab a baguette, and pose next to a tower of macarons. Say, "fromage!" and have everyone in attendance capture Paris-inspired photos from the evening.
Paris Party Photo Booth Props, $5.00, Etsy
13. Light Up The Sky With Sparklers
You may not be picnicking beneath the Eiffel Tower gazing up at a sky alight with fireworks, but you can still bring some sparkle to the holiday's night. Pass out these golden sparklers and make your own festive feux d'artifice.
36" Gold Sparklers, $24.00, Etsy
14. Hand Out Sweet Party Favors
While real macarons should be featured in abundance at your French fete, send guests away with an "au revoir" and a set of sweet-looking macaron soaps.
French Macaron Soap Mini Set, $10.00, Etsy
