Portugal Day is the official national holiday of Portugal and is celebrated annually on June 10. This day is known as “Dia de Portugal, de Cames e das Comunidades Portuguesas” (Day of Portugal, of Cames, and of the Portuguese Communities) in Portugal.
The purpose of this day is to commemorate the passing of Lus de Cames, who is regarded as the country’s foremost national icon. His poem, which tells the tale of Portuguese explorations in the 15th century and has since been adopted as Portugal’s national poem, is his most well-known work. Due to the uncertainty surrounding his birth date, his burial date, June 10, 1580, is celebrated as Portugal’s National Day.
HISTORY OF PORTUGAL DAY
As much as he came to symbolise Portuguese nationalism, Cames perished in 1580 during the succession crisis that led to Philip II of Spain assuming the throne of Portugal. On December 1, 1640, however, the kingdom regained its independence when the Spanish were expelled during the Portuguese Restoration War and John of Braganca was crowned King John IV of Portugal.
The poem by Cames has become such a potent symbol of Portuguese heritage that it has been designated as the national anthem and is respected by every elected government. Cames was even used as a symbol for the Portuguese people during the 20th century’s authoritarian regime.
Since its founding in 1944 by Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar, Portugal Day has been celebrated every year except 1974. In that year, the celebrations were suspended by the Carnation Revolution, a military coup that deposed the autocratic Estado Novo dictatorship.
After 1974, the celebrations were expanded to include Comunidades Portuguesas, Portuguese emigrants, and their descendants living in communities across the globe.
On July 4, 2013, the official celebrations were held in the town of Elvas for the second occasion since 1997. As a reminder that it is also a day for the Portuguese community around the globe, the formal celebrations were split between Lisbon and Paris for the first time in 2016 to reflect this fact.
Although Portugal Day is predominantly celebrated as a national holiday in Portugal, it is also observed as such in a number of other countries. Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom are among them.
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5 MIND-BLOWING FACTS ABOUT PORTUGAL
The elimination of servitude
In 1761, Portugal was the first colonial nation to abolish slavery.
The Portuguese language is extremely widespread.
Portuguese is the official language of nine countries and the sixth most spoken language in the globe.
The nation had over fifty colonies.
The Portuguese colonial dominion included 53 countries that are now independent.
It is home to the longest bridge in Europe.
The Vasco da Gama Bridge in Portugal, with its six lanes and cable-stayed structure across the Tagus River north of Lisbon, is the longest bridge in Europe.
It is the oldest nation in Europe.
Portugal was a monarchy for roughly 800 years, from 1139 to 1910, making it the oldest nation in Europe.
PORTUGAL DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | June 10 | Saturday |
| 2024 | June 10 | Monday |
| 2025 | June 10 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | June 10 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | June 10 | Thursday |
