When is Freedom Day in Portugal?
Freedom Day on April 25th is a national holiday in Portugal, with official commemorations.
It celebrates the 1974 Revolution that ended the dictatorship and started a democracy. It also commemorates the first free elections that took place a year later on April 25th 1975.
History of Freedom Day
The peaceful uprising was nicknamed the "Carnation Revolution" after the flowers protesters placed in the military's guns and tanks in a rare example of a military coup staged to install democracy.
The 1974 revolt by a group of idealist young military captains quickly turned into a popular uprising when the troops were joined by jubilant crowds.
The revolution began on April 25th 1974, in Lisbon. Meeting little resistance from loyalist forces they took less than 24 hours to topple the dictatorship that had ruled Portugal with an iron fist since 1926 under Antonio de Oliveira Salazar and from 1968 under Marcelo Caetano.
The events of April 25th transformed the Portuguese regime from an authoritarian dictatorship to a democracy.
It followed a long period of social change and power struggles between the left and right-wing political forces.
Did you know?
The military coup was started by an airing of two songs. “Grândola Vila Morena” (Grândola, Swarthy Town) was followed by "E Depois Do Adeus" by Paulo de Carvalho, Portugal's entry in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. These were secret signals that alerted the rebels to begin their coup.
Whilst the government forces killed four people before surrendering, the revolution was somewhat unusual in that the revolutionaries didn't resort to violence to achieve their goals. The population, holding red carnations, convinced the army not to resist and the soldiers swapped their bullets for flowers.
The revolution marked the end of the longest authoritarian regime in Western Europe.
While April 25th is a public holiday, the majority of stores will remain open to the public, though banks and government offices will be closed. Buses will operate on a weekend schedule. In Portuguese look for 'Todos os Dias and Sábados, Domingos e Feridos' schedules.
One of Lisbon’s two famous bridges has been named after the revolution. The bridge that heads towards beaches of Costa da Caparica and Almada, has been nicknamed Portugal’s Golden Gate Bridge but it is officially called Ponte 25 de Abril (25 of April Bridge).
