Bastille Day Party Ideas for July 14th

If you're like me, you find the Fourth of July a little dull. Sure, I am proud to be an American, as long as I don't hear that Lee Greenwood song. But fireworks, hot dogs, and little plastic flags get hackneyed year after year. As an alternative to celebrating our own nation's birthday, why not celebrate the French national holiday - Bastille Day - a week and a half later? Feted annually on June 14th, Bastille Day is when the French recognize the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of reforms (though violent) which eventually led to the Republic. Ultimately, the celebration is less about the actual storming of the Bastille in 1789 and more about the Fete de la Federation events marking the one-year anniversary of it.

But let's not get too caught up in the actual historical details. For the sake of a party, it's more fun to be novel, invoking all things even remotely French. Here are some of my Bastille Day party ideas for a pimped out July 14th.

Bastille Day Party Ideas: #1
French Idol? Ask guests to write English lyrics to La Marsellaise and perform them. This could piss off the same people who were upset that Spanish-speaking Americans recently penned their own words to the Star-Spangled Banner. Of course, it could always piss off the French too, but those Frenchies always cranky anyway, right?

Bastille Day Party Ideas: #2
July 14th falls during the Tour de France. So, gather a group to go biking and then vegg out while watching the Tour de France later on television. Or just take bets on who will win the stage that day. Make people wear lycra or spandex, too.

Bastille Day Party Ideas: #3
Costumes? Invite everyone to come dressed in some kind of vaguely French gear. Whether that means full-on Marie Antoinette, Paris street mime, or Hunchback of Notre Dame, there are plenty of options. If worse comes to worst, you can just make everyone don a beret.