The President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has announced on the Presidency website that the Day of Portugal will be officially celebrated, on June 10, in the Azores and the United States.
“These celebrations will take place in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, and in Boston, in the United States of America,” the announcement said.
In the same note the President appointed Onésimo Teotónio de Almeida to preside over the celebrations.
“The President of the Republic decided to appoint Prof. Doctor Onésimo Teotónio de Almeida to preside over the celebrations of the Day of Portugal, Camões and Portuguese Communities this year,” he announced.
Onésimo Teotónio deAlmeida, a native of São Miguel island, in the Azores, is a Full Professor at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. An essayist and author of various books, Professor Almeida is a recipient of various awards, including the “Oficial da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique” by the President of Portugal.
The Day of Portugal is a national holiday celebrated by the Portuguese nation every year on June 10. Officially designated ‘Day of Portugal, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities’ [Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas], the date also celebrates the life of Luiz Vaz de Camões, Portugal national poet.
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, New Jersey, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, California, and Hawaii. The total resident population of Portugal is estimated at 10,560,000.
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