After two years in which the pandemic placed restrictions of all kinds on the celebration of the most important dates in the Portuguese calendar, normality finally seems to have returned. If 25 April and 1 May already gave us a glimpse of that normality, with thousands of Portuguese taking to the streets to mark these two important dates, 10 June — Portugal Day, Camões Day and the Day of the Portuguese Communities — promises to follow suit.

History of Portugal Day

We need to go back to 1880 to find the first historical reference to Portugal Day celebrations. A royal decree by King Luís I declared 10 June a "National Holiday and Day of Great Gala" in Portugal — to mark, in that year alone, the 300th anniversary of the hypothetical date of Luís de Camões' death: 10 June 1580.

Twenty years later, following the legislative work that followed the Proclamation of the Portuguese Republic on 5 October 1910, a decree was published on 12 October establishing Portugal's commemorative dates. Among the eliminated public holidays (mostly religious ones) and newly added ones — such as 1 January, Universal Fraternity Day; 31 January, evoking the failed revolution in Porto; 5 October, Day of the Heroes of the Republic; 1 December, Autonomy Day (Restoration of Independence) and Flag Day — Portugal Day was left on the shelf.

However, since this decree gave municipalities the option to choose one date each year to celebrate their traditions, Lisbon opted for 10 June as a local public holiday in honour of Camões, as this was the date identified as the poet's date of death.

It was only on 29 August 1919, through Decree 17,171, that 10 June was officially recognised as a national public holiday.

The coup d'état of 28 May 1926 marked the end of the First Republic and the beginning of a Military Dictatorship that would eventually give way to the Estado Novo with the approval of the new constitution in 1933.

Following the entry into force of the new Constitution, and in the context of the narrative of exalting national symbols promoted by Salazar and António Ferro — the great driving force behind the cultural policy of the fascist regime — 10 June gained a new expression and name, becoming "Day of Camões, Portugal and the Race," the latter epithet coined by Salazar at the inauguration of the Estádio Nacional do Jamor in 1944.

With the establishment of democratic rule on 25 April 1974, 10 June became what we know today as Portugal Day, Camões Day and the Day of the Portuguese Communities — a date that, more than celebrating Portuguese identity, is the expression of a country that opens itself to the world, not to conquer it, but to embrace it. So much so that, since 2013, the autonomous community of Extremadura in Spain 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 simultaneously: Lisbon and Paris, in what was Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa's first choice of host city as President of the Republic. It was also the first time the official celebrations were held in a city outside the country.

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

In 2020, due to the pandemic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa cancelled the 10 June celebrations that had been planned for the Autonomous Region of Madeira and South Africa, opting instead for a small ceremony in Lisbon.

This year, the ceremonies begin on 10 June in Braga and continue in the United Kingdom, alongside Portuguese communities abroad.

Best ways to celebrate Portugal Day

On 10 June, millions of Portuguese and people of Portuguese descent spread across Portugal and the world will express their Portuguese identity by waving the green and red flag high, dressing up with Portuguese-themed attire — such as the official national football team kit, one of the great ambassadors of Camões' homeland — or visiting historic and emblematic places that shaped the idea of nationhood, such as Guimarães Castle or the Jerónimos Monastery.

Beyond these initiatives and the various cultural events (concerts, talks, gatherings, etc.) organised by associations and citizen movements, 10 June also has its Official Commemorations, presided over by the President of the Republic and many other prominent figures, including the President of the Assembly of the Republic, the Prime Minister, Ministers, Ambassadors and other personalities.

These commemorations — involving various military ceremonies, exhibitions, concerts, processions and parades, as well as a decoration ceremony conducted by the President of the Republic — always have their epicentre in a city in the country and/or significant Portuguese communities around the world, and usually attract thousands of people who express what it means to feel Portuguese.

As we mentioned, the 2022 Portugal Day, Camões Day and Day of the Portuguese Communities celebrations will be divided between Braga and the United Kingdom. But if you want to start celebrating the day before, it is worth noting in your diary that the Portuguese football team will play the Czech Republic on 9 June at Estádio José de Alvalade, in a match counting towards the third matchday of Group B of the Nations League. It is also worth highlighting that, besides the Czech Republic, Ronaldo and company will also face Switzerland and Spain in Group B, and who knows — perhaps they will be as happy as they were in 2019, when they won the first edition of the Nations League at the Estádio do Dragão.

Whether as a spectator at Alvalade or, the following day, at one of the many ceremonies celebrating Portugal Day, Camões Day and the Day of the Portuguese Communities taking place across the country and around the world, this is a great time to fly the flag, dress for the occasion and shout Portugal's name loud and proud.