Although there is quite a bit of mythology that surrounds Luís Vaz de Camões’ biography, there are quite a few things that we know about the man that’s considered to be Portugal’s greatest poet. He was born around 1524 or 1525 somewhere in the Kingdom Of Portugal and died on June 10, 1580 (O.S.) in Lisbon, Portugal. He’s a poet that’s known for writing a considerable amount of poetry during his lifetime but is most remembered for Os Lusiadas.
Os Lusiadas is considered one of the most important works in Portuguese literature and has been compared to the works of Shakespeare and Virgil. It’s written much like the way Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey and is a fantastic interpretation of the “Voyages of Discovery” made by Portuguese explorers during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was first written in 1572 in Portuguese and in English in 1776. It has since become an important symbol of the glory of Portugal.
Portugal Day is a holiday that’s been observed annually for quite some time. In 1944, Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar declared June 10th as Day of the Portuguese Races at the dedication of the National Stadium in Oeiras, Portugal. That wasn’t the first time this holiday was observed or mentioned, but it is one of the first times it was mentioned in an official capacity.
In 1997, official celebrations would take place in the town of Elvas. They were then celebrated there in 2013 after Elvas had been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012. In 2016, official ceremonies were split among the Portuguese capital of Lisbon and Paris, the capital of French.
This was done by the initiative of president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to make people aware that this isn’t just a holiday for Portugal, but is a holiday for all Portuguese people everywhere.