What is the Festival of the Supreme Being?

The History Place - Great Speeches Collection: Maximilien Robespierre Speech on the Festival of the Supreme Being. Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) was one of the leaders and orators of the French Revolution of 1789, best known for his involvement in the Reign of Terror that followed. read more

Festival of the Supreme Being The Festival of the Supreme Being, by Pierre-Antoine Demachy (1794) To inaugurate the new state religion, Robespierre declared that 20 Prairial Year II (8 June 1794) would be the first day of national celebration of the Supreme Being, and future republican holidays were to be held every tenth day—the days of rest (décadi) in the new French Republican Calendar. read more

The Cult of the Supreme Being was an artificial religion, developed by Robespierre and given formal status by the National Convention in May 1794. 2. In Robespierre’s mind, the Supreme Being was a deist god who created the world according to natural laws. read more

Of Maximilien Robespierre, president of the national convention, to the people gathered for the festival of the Supreme Being, Décadi 20 Prairial, the year 2 of the French Republic, one and indivisible. read more