Felix goes to Portugal's Independence Day Parade

TO: Carys Marderosian and Ms. Adair's 1st grade class

Henry Barnard School, Providence RI

Dear Carys and Miss Adair’s class:

I celebrated the 25 de Abril, the Portuguese Independence day, commemorating the country's overthrow of the Estado Novo colonial fascist dictatorship and got to participate in the Lisbon parade recreating the coup.

Riding on the lead tank in Lisbon's 25 de Abril Independence Day Celebrations

The Estado Novo colonial dictatorship ruled Portugal for 50 years, exploiting people from Portugal's overseas colonies in Africa and Asia, even fighting a war to control workers and resources in these territories. In Portugal, the military dictatorship outlawed public meetings, censored the press and the arts, and controlled what people could say or do by imprisoning anyone that disagreed with them.

On April 25, 1974 the military staged a coup against the Estado Novo to end the colonial war and help free Portugal itself, when tanks led a procession of joined by Lisbon's residents down the main boulevard of the city to call for the end of the dictatorship. The coup ended quickly and without resistance, and the modern period of democracy in Portugal began.

The official independence celebration keeps the spirit of the Portuguese revolution alive by being one of Lisbon's largest annual social justice marches. Associations, unions and other groups protecting the rights of workers, and those without a political voice, and for a more fair society march together in the parade. They support the spirit of the democratic revolution in Lisbon and for the country by working for today's social causes in Portugal.

Wearing a carnation and marching in the 25 de Abril celebration

The symbol of the revolution is the carnation, which everyone was wearing and waving. I was very happy that the color of my fur, is carnation colored too.Older people who lived through the Dictatorship and the revolution come out to the parade and are joined by young people and all of the residents of Lisbon. Many people who live in the city were born in the colonies; others came from other countries, or other parts of Portugal and they all brought music, cultural practices and food that everyone in Lisbon is proud to say helps make the city so unique and special.