Archive for July, 2017
5 Facts about the Bastille Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jul 17, 2017
As you probably know, la fête nationale, or the French national holiday, is celebrated every July 14. As Tim explains in his Bastille day post, this celebration is held (partly) in commemoration of the storming of the Bastille in 1789, an event that is often noted to have begun the French Revolution. But Bastille Day…
Athletic Vocabulary – Olympic Sports In French Posted by John Bauer on Jul 12, 2017
The Summer weather has les Jeux olympiques (the Olympic Games) on my mind. Like many people, I don’t follow les sports olympiques (the Olympic sports) outside of les Jeux olympiques, and it’s not a topic that usually comes up in conversations. While thinking about the possibility of les Jeux olympiques à Paris, I realized I…
French holidays: Bastille Day Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jul 11, 2017
This Friday (vendredi), le quatorze juillet (July 14), is la fête nationale française, known in the United States and many parts of the world as Bastille Day. And if you’re like many francophiles, you may think this day celebrates the storming of the royal prison of la Bastille on July 14, 1789 … and you’d…
Comme d’habitude Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jul 8, 2017
Claude François is one of the most iconic of French singer-songwriters of the 1960s. Emerging in the heyday of French rock and roll, François gained popularity from performing popular American songs in French during his early career. He was known for his fluffy blonde hair, long eyelashes..and for his somewhat difficult personality. One of François’s early…
Are The Olympics Coming To Paris? Posted by John Bauer on Jul 5, 2017
Les jeux olympiques (the Olympic Games) may soon be held in la ville lumière (the City of Light)! Paris is one of two remaining cities with bids for les Jeux olympiques de 2024, but the official announcement won’t happen until September. En septembre (in September) the official location for the 2024 Olympic Games will be…
Marianne Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jul 4, 2017
Le 14 juillet (July 14th), Bastille Day, is the French national holiday commemorating the start of the French revolution in 1789. The end of the French revolution led to a series of Republics (more below) one of the symbols of which is la Marianne. Named for the two most common woman’s names at the…
Happy Birthday, Canada! Have You Heard Her National Anthem? Posted by Josh Dougherty on Jul 3, 2017
On Saturday, July 1st, Canadians (and the world – many cities lit up their important buildings in red and white) celebrated 150 years of innovation, art, and history. This holiday exists to recognize the passing of the Constitutional Act of 1867 which united the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into one. Much…