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Dipti Nair
Doha
French expatriates in Qatar celebrated their National Day with a grand fete at the Ritz Carlton. The National Day also called as the 14th of July celebration is a commemoration of the French Revolution and is celebrated on the day every year by French people around the world.
The celebration in Doha was organised by the French Embassy in Qatar and saw attendance by over 1500 French nationals, Ambassadors of other countries and various dignitaries. Minister of Justice, Dr Hassan Lahdan al Mohannadi, Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohammed bin Abdullah al Rumaihi and Director of the Protocol Ibrahim Fakhroo were special guests at the event.
It was a night of fun and merriment for the guests gathered. The venue was decorated with French memorabilia with a highlight on Paris 2024 a reminder of the Olympics to be hosted in France in 2024. Giant television screens showcasing various events held in France during the day, various images of France and even an Eiffel Tower made of macaroons were other highlights. The night was enlivened with some exceptional live French music played by local band Rendezvous.
French Ambassador to Qatar HE Eric Chevallier said,"Our National Day, also called Bastille Day is very important for the French community. The day brings the universal message about the values of the French Revolution. There are 5,000 French people in Qatar and we wanted to celebrate with them this glorious day. Also, under the current circumstances, when our host country is going through these diplomatic issues, we wanted to show our commitment to long-term relationships with Qatar.
"The relationship between France and Qatar is deeply rooted and we want this to continue and get deeper. We are really strongly in favour of continuing friendship with Qatar and this celebration is a way to show how important this is for us."
Mathilde Chevallier, the ambassador's spouse, added,"National Day is very important because all French people around the world share the same values of liberty, fraternity and equality which is the foundation on which this day is marked. For us at the embassy, it is a matter of great joy and pride to meet our fellow citizens, Qatari friends and people from all over the world and to celebrate with them."
Everyone at the party enjoyed the special French food on offer including sumptuous cheeses and an abundance of French pastries including the very popular chocolate `clairs. For many of the French participants, i t brought back memories of home.
Nathalie Demaille, who has been in Qatar for over a year and works in the hospitality industry, said that she really misses home during the holiday season and attends these kinds of events every chance she gets a chance.
"For us, this is the most important day of the year. Back home, every year, we gather with family at Champs-Elys`es to watch the military parade. It is really quite exciting and an occasion that we wait for every year. It is also a holiday for us, so it is a time to enjoy and not go to work. It is more exciting this year as we have a new President and everyone is curious to know what he will do for the event. One good thing about being in Qatar is that Paris is just six hours' flight by Qatar Airways and whenever we miss home too much, we can just jump into a flight and head home."
Nanor Garabedian, who is visiting Qatar to meet her husband who works here, said,"I was born in a small suburb in France and every 14th of July, as a child, we used to go to the stadium to watch the fireworks. That used to be the highlight of the day for us the fireworks. We would be happy about how schools were closed but in those days we never really thought about the significance of the day. But of course now we realise how important freedom is and how this day is a reminder of the price our country paid for freedom and it is a matter of great pride for us."
