Bastille Day returns following one-year Covid hiatus

France celebrated its national holiday on Wednesday following a short hiatus, after the coronavirus pandemic meant last year’s Bastille Day was cancelled. In 2020, the event was replaced with a ceremony honouring healthcare workers who died during the Covid-19 crisis. Taking place annually, the procession sees the country’s military parade down the Champs-Élysées in Paris, in a commemoration of the birth of the French revolution. In a bid to control the spread of the coronavirus, attendance was limited and restricted to one small section of the parade, with spectators required to show a special pass in order to gain entry.