Public Holidays and Festivities in Portugal

In general, Portugal is a very religious country, where the majority of the population, let’s say over 80% of it, is considered Roman Catholic. Religion has also played a very important role in Portugal's history and culture since catholicism was introduced in the country in the early days. Even though the catholic church and the state have been separated for years now, religion is still an important topic in the country that has kept following traditions, and this is the reason why many of the festivities and public holidays in Portugal are religious.

Some things to keep in mind, are that in Portugal the public holidays are intended to be kept on the original day of the festivity, and it is not common to move it to another weekday closest to the weekend as in other countries, even if the public holiday is during the weekend and a bit unfortunate for workers. Also, the country shares many other public holidays with other European countries like New Year on the 1st of January, Labor day on the 1st of May, or Christmas on the 25th of December. It is important to know that during public holidays, the majority of shops are closed and public transport reduces the frequency.

However, there are public holidays that belong totally to the country:

• Liberation or also called freedom day, 25th of April: is for celebrating the carnation revolution through the military coup on this day in 1974 which ended with the Salazar dictatorship from 1926 in Portugal and represents the start of democracy in the country.
• The national day, the 10th of June: it is about commemorating the day of Portugal, better known as the Day of Camões, Portugal, and the Portuguese Communities where the death of Camões in 1580 is celebrated, the day that Portugal lost its independence to Spain.
• Republic day, 5th of October: also known as the Implantation of the Republic day, commemorates the fall of the Monarchy and the beginning of a republican form of government in the country back in 1910.
• Restoration day, 1st of December: celebrates the restoration of the country’s independence from Spanish rule in 1640.

There are also different festivities in the country, especially during summer in honor of the patron saints of each city. In every city or town, the celebration is different as a way of expressing their own cultural heritage through their outfits, music, and dances in the way of a festival. One of the biggest festival celebrations is in the capital of the country, Lisbon. Here the festival takes place during June in honor of Saint Anthony, where on that day the mayor offers free weddings in Saint Anthony’s church and there’s a big street fair in the Alfama neighborhood that lasts the whole night. On that same day, there’s a big parade that takes place in Avenida da Liberdade where all districts march competing for the best outfits. At the same time, the old quarters of Lisbon are set up with many different colorful decorations such as streamers, lights, and paper lanterns, the neighborhoods turn into a party itself.

Have you ever experienced the celebration of one of these festivities in Portugal?