Portugal Day: Celebrating Portuguese Communities Around the World
Every nation has its literary hero. For Portugal, it's the one-eyed poet Luis de Camoes. Luis de Camoes was such an iconic figure, that the Portuguese decided to name the anniversary of his death as their national day of celebration.
Every June 10, Portuguese communities around the world celebrate Portugal Day. Toronto boasts one of the most well-known Portugal Day celebrations in the Portuguese diaspora. Toronto's Portugal Day celebrations are so large, in fact, that the festivities actually take place over the course of three weeks at various different venues!
The highlights of the celebrations, though, usually take place on the weekend closest to June 10. This year's event will take place on June 8, 9, and 10 at Trinity Bellwoods Park. The Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Associations of Ontario (ACAPO) has been running these events since 1987, and this year marks their 25th anniversary as organizers of this city-wide celebration.
(Photo credit: Brian S. from ossingtonvillage.com)
In celebration of this milestone, Toronto Public Library will be joining the Portuguese community in celebrating their national day of heritage! On Saturday, June 9, Toronto Public Library will be at Trinity Bellwoods Park, sharing information about our great resources and services! Toronto Public Library has materials in over sixty different languages, and Portuguese is one of them. At Toronto Public Library, you can find Portuguese books, CD's, movies and magazines for adults and children at ten different branch locations throughout the city. We'll also be offering Portuguese Storytime programs at our tent, so be sure to stop by and say "ola"!
Want to read more about Portugal Day? Check out our blog or visit the ACAPO website for a full listing of Portugal Day events. You can also check out these titles written by Portuguese Canadian authors:
*UPDATE*
Wow! Portugal Day at Trinity Bellwoods Park was a success! Over 100 people came to visit Toronto Public Library's tent! Check out this list of new Portuguese titles coming to a Portuguese collection near you!
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