National day
Importance attached to the national day as well as the degree to which it is celebrated vary greatly from country to country. For example, Spain's national day Fiesta Nacional de España is held on 12 October, the day celebrated in other countries as Columbus Day or "Día de la Raza", and commemorates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. A military parade is held in Madrid celebrating the occasion. The national day in France is 14 July and known as the "Fête nationale" (known in English-speaking countries as Bastille Day) commemorating the Storming of the Bastille, which is considered the start of the French Revolution. It is widely celebrated and the French Tricolour is much in evidence, while the President of the Republic attends a military parade on the Champs-Élysées of Paris. In the United States, the Independence Day celebrations on 4 July are widely celebrated with parades, fireworks, picnics and barbecues. In Ireland, Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March, is the equivalent of a national day and has been a public holiday for many years. However, in the United Kingdom the constituent countries' patron saints' days are low-key affairs. In recent times campaigns have commenced to promote the national days of England, Scotland and Wales, with St. Andrew's Day being designated as an official bank holiday when the Scottish Parliament passed the St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007. A National Day for the United Kingdom has also been proposed in recent years.
History of the French in Baltimore
An annual French Fair is held in Seton Hill. In 2014 it was on 11 October from 12 to 5 in Saint Mary's Park. The Seton Hill Association hosts this free French Fair to celebrate the neighborhood as Baltimore’s old French Quarter. The Fair highlights city living and vendors of French themed food. It kicks off at 12 pm with DJ Steve Windows. Hot Club of Baltimore play jazz at 1 pm followed by a signature French Maid race at 2 pm. Black Cherry Puppet Theater performs a Marionette show at 2.30, Kevin McWha Steele sings from 3-4 pm and Victoria Vox finishes the music until 5 pm. In between these acts there is hula hooping on the central green, Petanque in the park, a flea and craft market, Art on the Fence, and a kids' corner that will include building a 6-foot and mini Eiffel towers, Toddler Tour de France, a mini Grand Prix, face painting, sack races and other entertainment.