One of the primary purposes of celebrating Bastille Day in France is to commemorate the French Revolution and the birth of the modern French nation. This national holiday, celebrated on July 14th, marks the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, a symbolic act of the people rising against tyranny. The day is filled with parades (notably the military parade on the Champs-Élysées), fireworks, and public festivities that emphasize values of liberty, equality, and fraternity among the French populace.