Fireworks are the public display listed as a Bastille Day celebration alongside parades, concerts and balls. Across France, fireworks are especially associated with the evening of 14 July, with Paris’s display around the Eiffel Tower among the best-known examples.
The holiday commemorates both the Storming of the Bastille in 1789 and the Fête de la Fédération in 1790. The first event became a powerful symbol of the French Revolution, while the second emphasized national unity. Modern celebrations combine those historical meanings with spectacular public entertainment.
Fireworks are often staged on the evening before or during 14 July, depending on local arrangements. Towns and cities across France organize their own displays, so the tradition is not limited to Paris. Concerts, public dances and military ceremonies commonly accompany the pyrotechnics.
A useful distinction is that fireworks are a display, while a parade is a procession of people, vehicles or military units. “Processions,” “carnivals” and “bonfires” may occur at other festivals or local events, but they are not the standard celebration listed in the Bastille Day description.