The ‘Day of the Azores’ was celebrated on Monday, May 21, in the municipality of Madalena, Pico island, honoring 23 personalities, five of them posthumously, and 15 regional institutions, bestowed with Azorean Commendations.
Designated ‘Dia da Região Autónoma dos Açores’ (Day of the Autonomous Region of the Azores), the holiday celebrates the historical, cultural and social affirmation of the Azorean people. The event, co-sponsored by the Legislative Assembly and the Government of the Azores, was established by the Legislative Assembly in 1980 as a regional holiday.
Observed throughout the archipelago, the holiday honors the “affirmation of the identity of the Azorean people, their philosophy of life and their regional unity.”
Presided by the President of the Government of the Azores, Vasco Cordeiro, the ‘Day of the Azores’ was marked by various festivities held on all the nine islands of the Azorean Archipelago.
The celebrations do not always occur on the same date each year. The date is movable to coincide with the first Monday following the Sunday of Pentecost, which sets the beginning the Azorean traditional Holy Ghost festival cycle.
Established in 2002, the Azorean Commendations recognize “citizens and legal persons who have distinguished themselves by personal or institutional merits, acts, civic deeds or by services rendered to the Region.” The awarded have the duty to “honor the Region” in all circumstances and to “dignify the commendation by all means.”
The 2018 list of personalities and institutions honored:
Insígnia Autonómica de Reconhecimento (Commendation of Recognition)
– Albino Cristiano Alves Gomes (posthumously)
– Francisco Amâncio de Oliveira Macedo (posthumously)
– João Luís Pavão de Aguiar Machado
– John Carlos Martins
– José Martins Garcia (posthumously)
– Luís da Silva Alves
– Maria Adelaide Correia Monteiro de Freitas
– Maria Teodora de Borba
– Mário T Cabral (posthumously)
– Regina de Azevedo Pires Toste Tristão da Cunha
– Victor Rui Ramalho Bettencourt Dores
Insígnia Autonómica de Mérito Profissional (Commendation of Professional Merit )
– António Manuel de Frias Martins
– Armando Ademar Monteiro Anahory (posthumously)
– Eduardo Manuel Arruda Carreiro da Costa
– Gilberta Margarida de Medeiros Pavão Nunes Rocha
– Manuel Humberto Neves
– Maria Rosa Pacheco Leite
Insígnia Autonómica de Mérito Industrial, Comercial e Agrícola – (Commendation of Industrial, Commercial and Agricultural Merit)
– José de Chaves Carvalho
– José Manuel Oliveira Melo
– Basílio Simões & Irmãos, Lda.
– Cooperativa Agrícola Lacticínios do Faial
Insígnia Autonómica de Mérito Cívico – (Commendation of Civic Merit)
– Ana Paula Espínola da Costa
– Armindo Pedro Louro
– João Carlos Cardoso Pinheiro
– Lúcia Elnora Nóia
– Almanaque do Camponez
– Associação Humanitária dos Bombeiros Voluntários da Ilha do Corvo
– Casa dos Açores do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul
– Casa dos Açores do Rio de Janeiro
– Casa dos Açores de Santa Catarina
– Casa dos Açores de São Paulo
– Casa de Repouso João Inácio de Sousa
– Casa de Saúde do Espírito Santo – Irmãs Hospitaleiras
– Confederação Operária Terceirense
– Delegação da Cruz Vermelha de Angra do Heroísmo
– Jornal O Dever
– Santa Casa da Misericórdia das Lajes do Pico
– Sociedade Filarmónica Liberdade Lajense.
paj.staff.updated
Source: Government of the Azores (GaCS/PC)
