The 25th of April is an important day in Portugal. It is Dia da Liberdade, or freedom day, and is an important national holiday. It commemorates the 'Revolução dos Cravos', the Carnation Revolution, a peaceful military coup that took place on that day in 1974.
Portugal was a dictatorship for 48 years after the Estado Novo (New State), was established between World War I and World War II. It was headed by Oliveira Salazar, and inspired by Italian fascism. Portuguese people became tired of the authoritarian regime, and a freedom movement was started.
It resulted in a non-violent rebellion, with armed forces spreading through the streets of Lisbon. They seized all the strategic sectors of the city, the radio, military headquarters, airport etc. Air forces flew over the city and armed forces triggered other operations all around the country in different cities. It ended more than 40 years of dictatorship in Portugal, and ended Europe's longest-surviving authoritarian regime.
The name Carnation Revolution is said to come from the actions of a restaurant worker in Lisbon who had a bouquet of carnations in her arms. When she saw a soldier, she put one in the pipe of his rifle. The other soldiers all started doing the same.
Now the carnation is the symbol of this important Portuguese holiday. You can see children's drawings in the windows of many schools at this time of year, with troops with carnations in their rifles. The restoration of democracy in Portugal is remembered in the date of the revolution 25 de Abril (25th of April), a common street name throughout Portugal.
Comments