How, When, and Where to Celebrate in Portual
Date: 04/24/2005
You can get from Lisbon to the other side of the Tagus River by crossing the spectacular 25th of April bridge, named for Portugal's biggest national holiday.
Dear International Living Reader,
The Portuguese love their holidays. When their calendar shows no cause for celebration, they invent one or import a holiday. This time of year, though, that's not a problem. April, May, and June offer plenty of local holidays.
The spring and early summer season starts today, April 25, with the country's biggest national holiday. Known as Freedom Day, it celebrates the beginning of Portugal's current democracy by commemorating the end of a 40-year dictatorship and the Revolution of 1974.
No one will be working today. And when the holiday falls on a Thursday, Friday, Monday, or Tuesday, all the better--the Portuguese take " pontes" (bridges) and leave work at midday the day before to head south to the Algarve beaches. They generally return home late on the evening before they are supposed to return to work or school.
Next comes May 1, Dia do Trabalhador, or Workers' Day. Then is May 26, Corpus Christi, usually observed 40 days after Easter, always on a Thursday (good for the pontes!). June 10 brings Camões Day, or Portugal Day, celebrating the birthday of Portugal's greatest epic writer.
This holiday season culminates with June 13, Day of Santo António, celebrated in Lisbon and Cascais to honor their patron saint. On this day, Lisbon comes alive with dancing, singing, and parades; this is one of the only days the traditionally contemplative Portuguese really open up. They welcome people into their neighborhoods, cook sardines and pork " febras" on the streets, and dance into the early hours.
Porto, north of Lisbon, has Dia de São João on June 24, when fun-loving people playfully hit unsuspecting others with rubber hammers and then turn away. The Portuguese love their food, and restaurants are full in Porto as well as in Lisbon and Cascais on these days.
Patricia Westheimer
For International Living
Editor's Note:The following is an update from Lee Harrison, our man on the ground in Quito, Ecuador. You can read his report on the current political situation in Ecuador here.
Reader reaction to the situation in Ecuador (and to my report on April 21) has been interesting and widely diverse, to say the least. On one end, I had four readers send comments such as “Are you people nuts?” or something similar. On the other hand though, I got a call from Matt Guillory up in Quito this morning telling me that a large number of tourists actually showed up to take part in the demonstrations, which took place if front of his home. He also reports that there’s been no slowdown in the people showing up to buy in Colonial Quito. For those of us old enough to remember the 60s in the US, these demonstrations--while quite significant to the politics and people of Ecuador--are quite within our experience.
On Friday morning President Alfredo Palacio selected his new cabinet and things have pretty much returned to normal around the country. Former president Gutierrez is still hiding in the Brazilian Embassy, and has formally asked Brazil for asylum. His partner in crime, former president Abdalá Bucaram has fled back to his high rise in Panama City. My niece Ricki is in front of her classroom, probably leading a “what did we learn from this” discussion, and the old men are pontificating in the square. Life goes on…
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