On June 10, 2025, Portugal celebrates its National Day, known as ‘Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas’ (Day of Portugal, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities). This annual celebration honors the nation’s heritage and the contributions of Portuguese communities worldwide.
This public holiday, which commemorates the death of Luís de Camões on June 10, 1580, Portugal’s most revered poet and the author of Os Lusíadas, an epic poem eulogizing the nation’s Age of Discoveries, also celebrates national heritage and pride.
Each year, the official celebrations are hosted in a different city within Portugal and extend to cities abroad with significant Portuguese populations of historic relevance.
As a national holiday, June 10 is marked by official ceremonies involving the President, Prime Minister, and other dignitaries. This year, the organizing committee for the 2025 celebrations is chaired by renowned Portuguese writer Lídia Jorge.
On June 10, 2025, the official national celebrations will take place in Lagos, a historic coastal city in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. This marks the first time that Lagos has hosted the event.
In addition to the celebrations in Lagos, events will symbolically extend to the Portuguese community in the former Portuguese colony of Macau, China, reflecting the holiday’s broader recognition of Portuguese communities worldwide.
Also, on June 10, Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro will join the Portuguese community in Stuttgart, Germany, to commemorate Portugal Day.
Their participation in Stuttgart underscores the significance of the Portuguese diaspora in Germany, one of the largest in Europe. This visit also marks Prime Minister Montenegro’s first major international engagement since his new government was sworn in on June 5, 2025.
Portuguese communities around the globe, including those in the United States, Canada, also commemorate Portugal Day. In the US, notable celebrations are taking place in states with large Portuguese-American populations, such as Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and California. These festivities often feature parades, flag-raising ceremonies, traditional music, dance performances, and Portuguese cuisine.
Indeed, while officially marked on June 10, many communities abroad, notably in the US and Canada, will extend Portuguese Heritage Month celebrations, holding parades and festivals throughout June.
In 2021, in the United States, Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA) introduced a resolution to the 117th Congress, supporting the designation of June as “Portuguese National Heritage Month.” The resolution, co-sponsored by Congressman David Valadao (R-CA), recognizes and celebrates the historic, cultural, and significant contributions Portuguese Americans have made to the United States.
For the Portuguese people living abroad, Portugal Day is the time to display their heritage and ethnic pride. It is estimated that over 5 million Portuguese nationals live abroad, about 1.4 million living in the United States, with a large percentage coming from the Azores.
Presently, there are sizable Portuguese American communities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, California, and Hawaii. In Canada, the month of June is celebrated as “Portuguese Heritage Month” to honor the heritage of half a million Luso-Canadians with many events showcasing the Portuguese rich history, language, and culture.
Major Portugal Day celebrations in the US
Although several Portuguese communities in the United States have already celebrated Portugal Day with great enthusiasm throughout June, major festivities and cultural events are still taking place from coast to coast in numerous US cities, with vibrant Portuguese-American communities hosting events to commemorate this day.
Portugal Day Festival in Newark is among the largest Portuguese celebrations in the US, attracting over 750,000 attendees. Held June 6-8, in the Ironbound neighborhood, the festival spans the weekend closest to June 10. Activities include parades, live music, cultural performances, and traditional Portuguese cuisine. The event is organized by the Union of Portuguese American Clubs of New Jersey (UCLANJ) .
Rhode Island Day of Portugal celebrations, held June 7-10, feature a series of events, including parades, cultural exhibitions, and traditional food festivals. These events are organized by the Day of Portugal and Portuguese Heritage in RI, Inc., aiming to promote Portuguese culture and heritage within the state.
Day of Portugal in Massachusetts celebrates the 41st Annual Heritage Day of Portugal, organized by the Portuguese American Legislative Caucus (PALC), will be held on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the Massachusetts State House. PALC is co-chaired by Rep. Antonio Cabral, along with Sen. Michael Rodrigues.
Fall River’s Day of Portugal Festival is scheduled for June 6–8. The celebrations include parades, folk dance performances, live music, and a variety of Portuguese culinary offerings. The festival is a significant cultural event for the local Portuguese-American community.
Boston Portuguese Festival will take place on Sunday, June 8, at City Hall Plaza. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the festival will feature live performances, traditional Portuguese food, and cultural exhibitions. The event is free and open to the public.
New Bedford Day of Portugal: From June 12 to 15, 2025, New Bedford will host a four-day celebration at Madeira Field, 50 Madeira Ave. The festivities will include performances by artists such as Michelle Pereira and the Discovery Language Academy Folkloric Group, as well as traditional food and cultural exhibits.
Lynn Portugal Day Flag Raising Ceremony: On Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 4:00 PM, Lynn City Hall will host its first-ever Portuguese Heritage Day Flag Raising Ceremony to honor the history and culture of Portugal and its communities.
To participate, consult the ongoing events in your community.
Carolina Matos/Editor
