10th of June: Portugal Day

Portugal Day is one of Portugal’s most important national holidays. So much so that it is celebrated not only in Portugal but worldwide, where several Portuguese communities come together to celebrate June 10th every year.

Officially known as Dia de Camões, de Portugal e das Comunidades Portuguesas (‘Day of Camões, Portugal, and the Portuguese Communities’), it is an exceptional day for the Portuguese people, who honor Portugal’s history and heritage.

Camões’ poem focuses mainly on a fantastic interpretation of the Portuguese voyages of discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries, including some of Portugal’s most famous historical moments, such as the discovery of a sea route to India by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama.

Frequently compared to Virgil’s Aeneid and written in Homeric fashion, ‘Os Lusíadas’ is often regarded as Portugal’s national epic, much as Virgil’s Aeneid was for the Ancient Romans, or Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey for the Ancient Greeks.

Who Was Luís de Camões?

The truth is that we know little about Luís de Camões’s life. Although many biographers have attempted to find documents.

According to most biographers, Luís de Camões was born in Lisbon around 1524 or 1525, when the Portuguese expansion in the east peaked. Some documents found show he was a member of the impoverished old aristocracy. Nevertheless, he was well related to the grandees of both Portugal and Spain.

While some believe Camões attended the University of Coimbra, this remains unproven. However, we may assume he followed regular studies due to his writing.

In the 16th century, it was normal for young Portuguese aristocrats to live in Morocco. The Portuguese held this country at the time, and young aristocrats would start a military career or qualify for Royal favors. However, biographers don’t know if these were the reasons Camões was there or if he was exiled in Morocco.

Luís de Camões didn’t always follow the right path. In fact, some documents prove that Portuguese King João III pardoned him in 1553 when he participated in a street brawl in which a royal officer was assaulted. According to the pardon, Camões should attend India to serve the king. Some documents show he got to India but didn’t make a fortune there. After all, in his poetry, we can find multiple references to the injustices and bad luck he met with.

Diogo do Couto, a 16th-century Portuguese historian, found Camões in Mozambique. In his works, he mentions that he saw “that great poet and old friend of mine” (Camões) stranded penniless in Mozambique and helped pay for his trip back to Lisbon.

In 1570, Camões returned to Portugal, where he published ‘Os Lusíadas’ in Lisbon at the beginning of 1572. In July of the same year, the King granted him a royal pension for his service in India and for writing ‘Os Lusíadas.’

An interesting fact is that Camões seemed to have a unique personality. He didn’t only lose one eye fighting but was also shipwrecked off the coast of Vietnam. According to the legend, when this happened, he kept ‘Os Lusíadas’ dry by swimming with only one arm and keeping the other above water.

According to some documents, his mother survived him, and in 1580, she started receiving his pension. While no one knows the reason for his death, it is assumed it was due to hardships and illnesses.

Since 1641, June 10 has been a celebration of the life and work of Luís de Camões. However, only centuries later did this day also become a celebration of Portugal’s history.

Following the legislative work after Portugal became a Republic in 1910, new national holidays were created to reflect the country’s latest political views. In 1919, June 10th was included in the list of national holidays. However, the dictatorial regime that controlled Portugal changed its nature throughout the following years.

During the Estado Novo regime, which lasted until April 25th 1974, the holiday was known as “Day of Camões, of Portugal and of the Portuguese Race”. In 1963, June 10th also became a tribute to the Portuguese Armed Forces, in apparent defense of the ongoing colonial war of that time and the Portuguese colonies the dictatorial regime of António Oliveira Salazar tried so hard to maintain. The dictator used the holiday for nationalistic reasons and, as popularly said, to pull the wool over the citizens’ eyes.

In 1978, Portugal embraced the democratic values so many fought for, so the holiday was changed once again and adopted its current designation: Day of Portugal, Camões, and of the Portuguese Communities.

Celebrating Portuguese communities around the world

The inclusion of Portuguese communities in this day’s honors is linked to the millions of Portuguese who emigrated during the last century, many fleeing from Portugal’s impoverished rural areas in search of a better life and new opportunities.

Today, life in Portugal is much different from the hardships of the recent past, but Portuguese emigrants all over the world—many second—and third-generation emigrant families—still celebrate their Portuguese roots and the heritage passed on to them from generations of proud ancestors.

Today, this Portuguese pride is celebrated by millions of Portuguese descendants from around the world, and approximately 5 million Portuguese emigrants live outside of Portugal, including California. In Many parents of California, the holiday falls around the Festa do Espirito Santo Season, and it isn’t celebrated with as much pomp and circumstance. Dia de Portugal at Kelly Park in San Jose is one of the few celebrations. Since most Californians of Portuguese ancestry have roots in the Azores, where the holiday still doesn’t have many expressions, the Holly Spirit Festas have a much more significant impact than the Dia de Portugal events. Due to the work of the California Portuguese-American Coalition, the state of California, through the Assembly and the Senate, promoted a joint resolution to honor Dia dos Açores, Dia de Portugal, and the month of June as Portuguese Heritage Month in California. A few cities and counties have also made similar resolutions.