Portuguese American Journal

Today in history: June 10th is Portugal Day

The Day of Portugal is a national holiday celebrated by the Portuguese nation every year on June 10. The date also celebrates the life of Luis Vaz de Camões, Portugal’s national poet.

Luis Vaz de Camões (c.1524-1580) wrote ‘Os Lusiadas,’ [The Lusiads] Portugal’s national epic poem celebrating the memorable 15th century Portuguese historic achievements. Since the day of his birth and death are unknown, his death is celebrated on June 10 as ‘Portugal Day.’

While Camões has been compared to Shakespeare, Vondel, Homer, Virgil and Dante, his epic poem the The Lusiads is considered one the most important works in Portuguese literature and an iconic symbol for the Portuguese nation.

Officially designated ‘Day of Portugal, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities’ [Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas],  for the Portuguese people living abroad, the Day of Portugal is the time to celebrate their heritage and ethnic pride.

It is estimated that 5 million Portuguese nationals live abroad. The total resident population of Portugal is estimated at 10,560,000 (2011).

Google users in Portugal will find today a new doodle featuring the Guimarães Castle, a medieval castle in the northern region of Guimarães, believed to be over 1,000 years old and associated with the foundation of the country.

Since 1998, Google doodles are known as the decorative changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists and scientists.

When doodles were first created, nobody had anticipated how popular and integral they would become to the Google search experience. Nowadays, many users excitedly anticipate the release of each new doodle and some even collect them.

paj.staff

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