The French National Day hosted by Ambassador Marie Fontanel at the Raffles and Fairmont Ballroom was packed to capacity.
It seems the number of French nationals and their Filipino friends have increased tenfold or more since I started attending this celebration, which was held yearly at the French Ambassador’s residence until recent years.
I can still remember when the swimming pool was covered with a heavy-duty industrial tarpaulin so that guests could spill out into the garden and even onto the pool. But because July could be rainy, an entire tent covered the garden area, which could make it quite stuffy. That’s why, with the great number of people attending the celebration, it had to be moved to a five-star hotel ballroom.
It is also known as Bastille Day. Held each year on July 14, France’s national holiday marks the storming of the Bastille fortress in 1789, a key event of the French Revolution.
July 14 commemorates the anniversary of the fall of the Bastille prison, marking the beginning of the French Revolution.
In 2017, French jets trailed the national colors across the sky of Paris during the Bastille Day celebration – La Fête Nationale.
Though I don’t speak French, I always remember these three important words associated with France’s Independence Day: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité – the rallying cry of the French people during the French Revolution – Liberty, Equality and Fraternity – freedom for everyone.
We would like to wish Ambassador Marie Fontanel ‘Godspeed’ as she leaves us soon for her next assignment. She will certainly be missed.