Bal du 15 août

The Assumption, its origins.

The origins of the feast of the Assumption date from the reign of King Louis XIII (born in 1601 – died in 1643), known as "the Just", son of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis. Desperate to still have no heir, the king appealed to the Virgin Mary, praying with insistence and perseverance that “Queen Anne of Austria” would give him an heir. He thus orders all his subjects to organize religious marches in all the parishes on August 15 in honor of the Virgin Mary.
A year later, in 1638, Louis XIV was born. The miracle happened…!

Henceforth, King Louis XIII decreed that August 15 would be a Marian feast.

At one time, August 15 a National Day

On February 19, 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French decreed that August 15 would become Saint Napoleon Day. The choice of this date is no accident. It is, in fact, the day of signature of the concordat of 1801 restoring the Catholic religion in France and it is also the day of Birth of the Emperor Napoleon.
August 15 became the day of Saint Napoleon, of the restoration of the Catholic religion and of the Virgin Mary.

From 1806 to 1813, August 15 became the French National Day. It was not until 1880 that July 14 finally became the National Day and August 15 was declared a public holiday.

August 15 celebrated in the same way as July 14.

Without a military parade. August 15 is a Feast celebrated in the same way as July 14. This is why every year in Fréjus you will find the traditional ball on August 15 in the historic heart.