Bastille Day

Vive la France! Bastille Day is celebrated on July 14, to honor the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution. It's like their 4th of July, but on steroids. The festivities began the night before, we a DJ and dance party in the town square. When we got there, the DJ was playing, but no one was dancing. So what did the American students do? Start a dance party of course! The DJ knew we were American, so started playing songs we knew, such as Party Rock Anthem, Cotton Eye Joe, and the Everybody Needs Somebody to Love. Highlight of the night was teaching all the French people the YMCA.

On Bastille Day, we began by going to the markets. The French are crazy for markets, and since Bastille Day fell on a Saturday, the markets were even crazier. Think of an outdoor farmers market that covers every square inch of town. There are lots of booths with fresh produce, meats, and cheeses. But there are also clothes, shoes, jewelry, cutting knives, purses, nail polish, boxers, and kittens. The oddest assortment I've ever seen!

In the afternoon, the whole town gathers around the waterfront to watch the annual greased pole competition. A large wooden pole sticks out over the water, with plants and a French flag at the end. The pole is then slathered in grease. Competitors must try to run to the end of the pole and grab the flag without falling to win. AKA for the first 45 mins, the whole town watches wipe out after spectacular wipe out. The best part? No one cheers. The crowd is silent. For a really good attempt, they will politely clap, but that's it. One of the guys on our trip tried it to! After about an hour of competition, one of the older men in town took a diving leap on his attempt, and snatched the flag. The crowd finally broke their silence and broke out into a roaring cheer. The cutest part was when he climbed out on the pole, holding the flag above his head, and holding his small daughters in his arms.

At night, the DJ set and dance party began again. The entire town is out on the waterfront. The challenge is dodging the firecrackers and bottle rockets that are constantly being thrown at your feet. There is no regulation on fireworks, and 8 year olds light fireworks and throw them into dense crowds, while their parents laugh. I will never again complain about feeling unsafe on the 4th of July in the US. The night concluded with a giant fireworks display over the water. It was set to music from big movie thrillers, such as Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. They were spectacular, and honestly made any display I've seen in the US seem weak. And I was only in Honfleur. I can only imagine what the display in Paris must have been like.

All in all, an exhaustingly long but incredible day. I can now say I've celebrated Bastille Day in France, and survived with all my fingers and toes. Vive la France!