Question

Why is Bastille Day a symbol of French national pride?

Answer 1

because they fell to the French

Answer 2

Because the fall of the Bastille prison is not "historically" that important. The revolution was already in march after the General Estates, but the symbol of common folks attacking one of the most important prison in France stayed in the common conscience.

The facts are that the Bastille was a prison in which the aristocrats were jailed when they disagreed with the king : a kind of jail for richs : intellectuals, politicians.

When the Bastille fell, there were seven prisoners only, and they had not been badly treated.

History only kept the popular revolt against monarchy.

Contrary to the common belief, the 14th of July does not celebrate the fall of the Bastille but The federation day which held the year after (the confusion is made because the date was chosen as an anniversary of the Bastille day).

So we can say that in France we celebrate the first anniversary of the falling of the Bastille. :0))
The Bastille was a fortress and prison in Paris. Having already seized cannond ans guns at the Invalids, the people (and among them part of the National guard which stood with rioters) thought there was some gun powder to seize at the Bastille. Another reason for storming the Bastille was that people thought there were a number of people unjustly jailed there, for their ideas, by the monarchy. The storming of the Bastille marks the official beginning of the French revolution and the 14th of July is France national day.