Portugal Day
Encyclopedia
Portugal Day, officially (Day of Portugal
, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities
), is Portugal's National Day
celebrated annually on June 10. Although officially observed only in Portugal
, Portuguese citizens and emigrants throughout the world celebrate this holiday. The June 10 date commemorates the death of national literary icon Luís Vaz de Camões
in 1580.
, Portugal's national epic poem celebrating Portuguese history
and achievements. The poem focuses mainly on the 16th-century Portuguese explorations
, which brought fame and fortune to the country. Camões' poem, considered one of the finest and most important works in Portuguese literature
, became a symbol for the great feats of the Portuguese Empire
. Camões was an adventurer who lost one eye fighting in Ceuta
, wrote Os Lusíadas while traveling, and survived a shipwreck in Cochinchina
(present-day Vietnam
). According to popular folklore, Camões saved his epic poem by swimming with one arm while keeping the other arm above water. Since Camões' date of birth is unknown, the date of his death is celebrated as Portugal's National Day.
Although Camões became a symbol for Portugal nationalism, his death in 1580 coincided with a dynastic crisis that eventually resulted in Philip II of Spain
claiming the Portuguese throne. Portugal was then ruled by three generations of Spanish kings
. Sixty years later, on December 1, 1640, the country regained its independence once again by expelling the Spanish
and making John of Bragança, King John IV of Portugal
.
During the authoritarian Estado Novo regime in the 20th century, Camões was used as a symbol for the Portuguese nation. In 1944, at the dedication ceremony of the National Stadium, António de Oliveira Salazar
referred to June 10th as Dia da Raça, the Day of the Portuguese
Race. The notion of a Portuguese "race" served his nationalist purposes. Portugal Day celebrations were officially suspended during the Carnation Revolution
. Celebrations resumed after 1974, expanded to include the Comunidades Portuguesas, Portuguese emigrants and their descendants living in communities all around the world.
who live in Toronto
celebrate by holding a multitude of events surrounding the June 10 date. The week-long festival culminates with the Portugal Day Parade on Dundas Street
, in the areas knowns as Little Portugal
. The parade ends near Trinity Bellwoods Park
, where concerts, cultural events and various other activities take place. The Portugal Day Parade is Toronto's third largest street festival.
as part of the UK Day of Portugal events. In 2009, festivities were held on June 21 in Streatham Common
Park. In 2010, festivities were celebrated on June 13 in Kennington Park
, southeast London
, in the area known as Little Portugal. The 2011 observance will be held Sunday June 12 in Kennington Park.
s celebrate the holiday throughout the country, especially in Portuguese-American neighborhoods
.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
), is Portugal's National Day
National Day
The National Day is a designated date on which celebrations mark the nationhood of a nation or non-sovereign country. This nationhood can be symbolized by the date of independence, of becoming republic or a significant date for a patron saint or a ruler . Often the day is not called "National Day"...
celebrated annually on June 10. Although officially observed only in Portugal
Public holidays in Portugal
Public holidays celebrated in Portugal are a mix of religious , Town, City, national and by Autonomous regions of Portugal.-Public holidays in Portugal:* - Computing the Date of Easter: -Local holidays:-External links:* *...
, Portuguese citizens and emigrants throughout the world celebrate this holiday. The June 10 date commemorates the death of national literary icon Luís Vaz de Camões
Luís de Camões
Luís Vaz de Camões is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespeare, Vondel, Homer, Virgil and Dante. He wrote a considerable amount of lyrical poetry and drama but is best remembered for his epic work Os Lusíadas...
in 1580.
Honoring Camões
Camões wrote Os LusíadasOs Lusíadas
Os Lusíadas , usually translated as The Lusiads, is a Portuguese epic poem by Luís Vaz de Camões ....
, Portugal's national epic poem celebrating Portuguese history
History of Portugal
The history of Portugal, a European and an Atlantic nation, dates back to the Early Middle Ages. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it ascended to the status of a world power during Europe's "Age of Discovery" as it built up a vast empire including possessions in South America, Africa, Asia and...
and achievements. The poem focuses mainly on the 16th-century Portuguese explorations
Portuguese discoveries
Portuguese discoveries is the name given to the intensive maritime exploration by the Portuguese during the 15th and 16th centuries. Portuguese sailors were at the vanguard of European overseas exploration, discovering and mapping the coasts of Africa, Asia and Brazil, in what become known as the...
, which brought fame and fortune to the country. Camões' poem, considered one of the finest and most important works in Portuguese literature
Portuguese literature
This is a survey of Portuguese literature.The Portuguese language was developed gradually from the Vulgar language spoken in the countries which formed part of the Roman Empire and, both in morphology and syntax, it represents an organic transformation of Latin without the direct intervention of...
, became a symbol for the great feats of the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
. Camões was an adventurer who lost one eye fighting in Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, wrote Os Lusíadas while traveling, and survived a shipwreck in Cochinchina
Cochinchina
Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of Vietnam whose principal city is Saigon. It was a French colony from 1862 to 1954. The later state of South Vietnam was created in 1954 by combining Cochinchina with southern Annam. In Vietnamese, the region is called Nam Bộ...
(present-day Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
). According to popular folklore, Camões saved his epic poem by swimming with one arm while keeping the other arm above water. Since Camões' date of birth is unknown, the date of his death is celebrated as Portugal's National Day.
Although Camões became a symbol for Portugal nationalism, his death in 1580 coincided with a dynastic crisis that eventually resulted in Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
claiming the Portuguese throne. Portugal was then ruled by three generations of Spanish kings
Iberian Union
The Iberian union was a political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a dynastic union between the monarchies of Portugal and Spain after the War of the Portuguese Succession...
. Sixty years later, on December 1, 1640, the country regained its independence once again by expelling the Spanish
Portuguese Restoration War
Portuguese Restoration War was the name given by nineteenth-century 'romantic' historians to the war between Portugal and Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon . The revolution of 1640 ended the sixty-year period of dual monarchy in Portugal...
and making John of Bragança, King John IV of Portugal
John IV of Portugal
|-|John IV was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1640 to his death. He was the grandson of Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, who had in 1580 claimed the Portuguese crown and sparked the struggle for the throne of Portugal. John was nicknamed John the Restorer...
.
During the authoritarian Estado Novo regime in the 20th century, Camões was used as a symbol for the Portuguese nation. In 1944, at the dedication ceremony of the National Stadium, António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar, GColIH, GCTE, GCSE served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968. He also served as acting President of the Republic briefly in 1951. He founded and led the Estado Novo , the authoritarian, right-wing government that presided over and controlled Portugal...
referred to June 10th as Dia da Raça, the Day of the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
Race. The notion of a Portuguese "race" served his nationalist purposes. Portugal Day celebrations were officially suspended during the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
. Celebrations resumed after 1974, expanded to include the Comunidades Portuguesas, Portuguese emigrants and their descendants living in communities all around the world.
Canada
Over 200,000 Portuguese CanadiansPortuguese Canadians
Portuguese Canadians are both Canadians born with Portuguese descent or citizenship or Portuguese born with Canadian descent or citizenship . According to StatCan, in 2006, there were 410,850 persons of Portuguese descent living in Canada, or 1.3% of the nation's total population...
who live in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
celebrate by holding a multitude of events surrounding the June 10 date. The week-long festival culminates with the Portugal Day Parade on Dundas Street
Dundas Street
Dundas Street, also known as Highway 5 west of Toronto, is a major arterial road connecting the centre of that city with its western suburbs and southwestern Ontario beyond...
, in the areas knowns as Little Portugal
Little Portugal, Toronto
Little Portugal is a neighbourhood and ethnic enclave in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located west of downtown in the "Old" City of Toronto. It is bounded on the west by Lansdowne Avenue, on the north by College Street, on the east by Ossington Avenue and on the south by the CNR/CPR mainline...
. The parade ends near Trinity Bellwoods Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park is located on the west side of downtown Toronto, Ontario Canada, bordered by Queen Street West on the south and Dundas Street on the north. The western boundary of the park is Crawford Street, running north to within a short block of Dundas, where the park extends further...
, where concerts, cultural events and various other activities take place. The Portugal Day Parade is Toronto's third largest street festival.
UK
Portuguese Britons celebrate the holiday annually in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as part of the UK Day of Portugal events. In 2009, festivities were held on June 21 in Streatham Common
Streatham Common
Streatham Common is a large open space on the southern edge of Streatham, London.It is one of two former areas of common land in the former parish of Streatham. The other is now known as Tooting Bec Common After inclosure, the Common was purchased for use as a public open space under the powers...
Park. In 2010, festivities were celebrated on June 13 in Kennington Park
Kennington Park
Kennington Park is in Kennington in London, England, and lies between Kennington Park Road and St Agnes Place. It was opened in 1854. Previously the site had been Kennington Common. This is where the Chartists gathered for their biggest 'monster rally' on 10 April 1848...
, southeast London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in the area known as Little Portugal. The 2011 observance will be held Sunday June 12 in Kennington Park.
USA
Portuguese AmericanPortuguese American
Portuguese Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in the southwest European nation of Portugal, including the offshore island groups of the Azores and Madeira....
s celebrate the holiday throughout the country, especially in Portuguese-American neighborhoods
Portuguese American neighborhoods
In the late 19th century, many Portuguese, mainly from the islands of Azores and Madeira, immigrated to the United States and established their own communities in cities such as Providence, Rhode Island, New Bedford, Massachusetts, and San Jose, California...
.
- Occurring on the weekend closest to June 10 is the Portugal Day street festivalPortugal Day Festival in NewarkThe Portugal Day Festival in Newark, New Jersey is a street festival celebrating the Portuguese people, language, and their culture. First organized in 1979 by the Bernardino Coutinho Foundation, since 2010 the Festival has been organized by the Union of Portuguese American Clubs of New Jersey ,...
in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New JerseyNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. Organized by the Bernardino Coutinho Foundation from 1979 to 2010, since 2011 Newark's Portugal Day Festival is organized by the Union of Portuguese-American Clubs of New Jersey (UCLANJ: União de Clubes Luso-AmericanosLuso AmericanThe prefix Luso- indicates a relation to the Lusitania, Portugal or the Portuguese people, as in the terms Portuguese American, Luso- Brasileiros, Luso-Africans, Luso-Asian. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of Portugal descent in United States, South America, Africa,...
de New Jersey).
- The celebration of Portugal Day 2011 in New York City will be held in Central Park. The Portugal Day NYC event will take place on June 19 and will consist of a five-mile run and kids' races for ages 2 to 12. In addition, a Portuguese festival will be held, including sampling of Portuguese products and performances by Portuguese artists. The event is organized by the Portuguese Circle.
- Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
holds an annual Day of Portugal and Portuguese Heritage
- The Portuguese Heritage Society of CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
organizes Dia de Portugal California in San Jose's History ParkHistory Park at Kelley ParkHistory Park at Kelley Park in San Jose, California, USA is designed as an indoor/outdoor museum, arranged to appear as a small US town might have in the early 1900s...
, location of the Portuguese Historical MuseumPortuguese Historical MuseumThe Portuguese Historical Museum in San Jose, California, USA opened in 1997, and is a replica of the first permanent império built in San Jose circa 1915...
.
See Also
- Portuguese Heritage SocietyPortuguese Heritage SocietyThe Portuguese Heritage Society, also known as Lusitano, is a national not-for-profit organization based in Mineola, New York, founded in 1995. Its members and volunteers support, spread, and enrich Portuguese culture for those living in the United States. P.H.S...
(Mineola, New York) - Community of Portuguese Language Countries
External links
- Day of Portugal site from the President of PortugalPresident of PortugalPortugal has been a republic since 1910, and since that time the head of state has been the president, whose official title is President of the Portuguese Republic ....
- Day of Portugal in London, England
- Day of Portugal in Rhode Island, USA
- Day of Portugal in California, USA