Best Ways to Celebrate Portugal Day

After two years in which the pandemic brought various limitations to the celebration of the most important dates in the Portuguese calendar, the bonanza seems to have finally arrived. If April 25th and May 1st already gave us a glimpse of normality with thousands of Portuguese taking to the streets to celebrate these two important dates, June 10th, the Day of Portugal, of Camões and the Portuguese communities, promises to follow in its footsteps.

History of Portugal Day

We need to go back to 1880 to find the first historical reference to the Day of Portugal celebrations. By royal decree of King Luís I, the monarch declared June 10 in Portugal as a "Day of National Feast and Grand Gala" to commemorate, only that year, the 300th anniversary of the hypothetical date of the death of Luís de Camões, June 10, 1580.

 

Twenty years later, following the legislative work after the Proclamation of the Portuguese Republic on October 5, 1910, a decree was published on October 12 stipulating Portugal's commemorative dates. Among holidays eliminated (especially religious ones) and others added such as January 1st, Universal Fraternity Day; January 31st, which evoked the failed revolution in Porto; October 5th, Day of the Heroes of the Republic; December 1st, Day of Autonomy (Restoration of Independence) and Flag Day; the Day of Portugal was left on the back burner.

 

However, as this decree gave municipalities the possibility to choose a date in the year to celebrate their traditions, Lisbon chose June 10th as municipal holiday, in honor of Camões, since this was the date of the poet's death.

 

Only on August 29, 1919, through decree 17 171, did June 10 become a national holiday.

 

After the coup d'état on May 28, 1926 marked the end of the First Republic regime and the beginning of a military dictatorship that would lead to the Estado Novo with the approval of the new constitutional text in 1933.

 

Following the entry into force of the new Constitution and the exaltation of national symbols promoted by Salazar and by António Ferro, the great promoter of the fascist regime's cultural policy, June 10th gained a new expression and name, becoming known as "Day of Camões, of Portugal and of the Race", the latter epithet created by Salazar at the inauguration of the Jamor National Stadium in 1944.

 

With the implementation of the democratic regime on April 25, 1974, June 10 became what we know today as Portugal, Camões and Portuguese Communities Day, a date that, more than celebrating Portugal's nationality, is the expression of a country that opens up to the world, not to conquer it, but to embrace it. So much so that, since 2013, the autonomous community of Spanish Extremadura also celebrates this day.

 

Since 1977 dozens of cities have hosted Portugal Day celebrations, nine of which are not district capitals (Tomar, Covilhã, Figueira da Foz, Sintra, Chaves, Lagos, Guimarães, Elvas and Lamego).

 

In 2016, the official commemorations took place for the first time in two cities at the same time: Lisbon and Paris, in what was the first election of the host city by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as President of the Republic. It was also the first time that the official celebrations took place in a city outside the country.

 

In 2017 in Brazil, in the United States in 2018, and in Cape Verde in 2019 were other times when the celebrations extended beyond national borders.

 

In 2020, due to the pandemic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa canceled the June 10 celebrations that were planned for the Autonomous Region of Madeira and South Africa and opted to have a small ceremony in Lisbon.

 

This year, the ceremonies will begin on June 10 in Braga and continue to the United Kingdom, with the Portuguese communities.

Best ways to celebrate Portugal Day

On June 10, millions of Portuguese and Luso-descendants scattered throughout Portugal and the world, will express their Portugueseness by waving the green flag very high, dressing up in motifs alluding to Portugal, such as the official equipment of the national soccer team, one of the great ambassadors of the homeland of Camões, or taking walks through historical and emblematic places of the construction of the idea of nation such as the Guimarães Castle or the Jerónimos Monastery.

 

In addition to these initiatives and the various events of a cultural nature (concerts, lectures, meetings, etc.) held by associations and citizens' movements, June 10th also has its Official Commemorations which are presided over by the President of the Republic and many other major figures such as the President of the Portuguese Parliament, the Prime Minister, Ministers, Ambassadors and other personalities.

 

These commemorations, which involve various military ceremonies, exhibitions, concerts, parades, and a decoration ceremony performed by the President of the Republic, always have their epicenter in a city of the country and/or relevant Portuguese communities in the world and usually attract thousands of people who express what it is to feel Portuguese.

As we mentioned, the celebrations for Portugal, Camões and Portuguese Communities Day 2022 will be divided between Braga and the United Kingdom, but if you want to start celebrating this day beforehand, it is good to note in your diary that the Portuguese national soccer team will play against Czech Republic on June 9 at Estádio José de Alvalade, in a game for the third round of group B of the Nations League. It should be noted that, in addition to Czechia, Ronaldo and company will also face Switzerland and Spain in group B and, who knows, be happy again as in 2019, the year in which he won the first edition of the Nations League in the Estádio do Dragão.

 

Be it as a spectator in Alvalade or, the next day, in one of the many ceremonies celebrating the Day of Portugal, of Camões and the Portuguese Communities that will happen in Portugal and in the world, this is a good time to take out the flag, dress up and shout out loud the name of Portugal.