Portugal Notes

We're celebrating Freedom Day over here. April 25th, or the day of the Carnation Revolution. As Fascist regimes go, that of Salazar and successors wasn't all that terrible, and as Fascist regimes have and should go, it went.

The celebrations around here seem a little muted, everyone's got the day off of course but not much else seems to be going on, perhaps an extra digestif after lunch or something.

We didn't celebrate the 23 rd either, despite the fact that St. George is the patron saint here, as in England.

I'm not all that sure why, either: perhaps it's all stored up for one of the other days, like the National Day. The celebration of the Portuguese Nation and all who sail in her. Or maybe Republic Day, marking the end of the monarchy and the start of the Republic. Or even Independence Day, celebrating the end of the Iberian Union?

It's just slightly odd living in a country that celebrates different constitutions so often. It's not as if anyone here has ever taken a blind bit of notice of any of the laws promulgated under any of them....

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