Everyone is familiar with a big celebration on July 4th, the celebration of American independence. But for many years, St. Tammany residents, especially those of French descent, also celebrated the 14th of July. There was a big parade, sometimes with fireworks and special French dignitaries on hand.
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Abita Springs hosted the biggest annual celebrations, forming a 14th of July Society that organized and held the event, with the proceeds donated towards several civic projects around town. It was all to commemorate Bastille Day, the fall of the Bastille prison in 1789 during the French Revolution. Local people with French ancestors marked the occasion of their forebears freedom, along with their own freedom won in the July 4th celebration.
St. Tammany's observance of Bastille Day began in the late 1880's and went through the 1930's.
The Abita Fourteen of July Society was active for years, with a special parade and other festivities on that date. With the proceeds from a variety of dances and banquets, the group participated in a number of community improvement projects: they erected a flagpole and memorial marker honoring those who served in World War I and helped other organizations with worthwhile causes.Each year the Abita group put together a large parade featuring a line of cars that not only went around town, but beginning in 1930 travelled down to Mandeville and over to Covington as well. Parades in later years featured specially decorated cars and a contest to choose the best one. There were also dances, banquets, bazaars and balls, and the society also took part in a variety of community activities, including the parish fair.
It was also active in the local observance of Armistice Day. on November 11 of each year.
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