Dia de Portugal, International Holiday Celebrated in California
Annual Festival Celebrates the Cultures of Portugal, Brazil, Macau and Other Luso-phone Countries
SAN JOSE, CA, February 6, 2006. The Portuguese Heritage Society of California (PHSC) will host the Annual Dia de Portugal Festival 2006 on Saturday, June 10th, at Kelley Park in History Park San Jose, in San Jose, California. This year marks the ninth annual festival hosted by the PHSC. Festival patrons of all ages will be able to enjoy a full day of entertainment, live music, food from Portugal, Brazil and Macau, Portuguese wines, books and artwork for sale. There will be a traditional parade in the afternoon.
The current schedule of events is as follows:
10:00am - Park Gates Open
10:00am - 1:00pm - Live Music and Dancing.
Performances include:
. Portuguese Folklore representing Portugal, the Azores and Madeira
. Brazilian Carnival Dancing
. Brazilian Capoeira
. Scottish Bag Pipes
. Portuguese Bands
1:00pm - 2:00pm - Dia de Portugal Parade
2:00pm - 5:00pm - Live Music and Dancing continues
5:00pm - 7:30pm - Dancing with the band, Zodiac
From 10am - 5pm the following activities will be available for your enjoyment:
. Food and Beverage Booths
. Children's Activities
. Cooking Demonstrations with Chef Antelmo Faria of La Salette in Sonoma, CA!
. Book Faire
. Art Exhibit
. Silent Auction and Raffle
. Visits to the Portuguese Historical Museum
Officially, this international event is "Dia de Portugal, de Cam~oes e das Comunidades Portuguesas", and is observed on June 10thIt is celebrated in Portuguese speaking countries as well as other countries worldwide with significant populations of people of Portuguese heritage. Dia de Portugal, a national holiday in Portugal, commemorates the life of Luis de Cam~oes, Portugal's greatest poet and recognizes the valuable contributions of the many Portuguese communities worldwide. In the United States, people of Portuguese descent are concentrated on the East Coast, California and Hawaii. Annually, they join in June with their fellow Americans to celebrate Portuguese heritage and culture.
PALCUS, the Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States, estimates that there are more than 500,000 Portuguese-Americans living in the State of California. That figure represents the largest number of Portuguese-Americans for any one state. With so many Portuguese-Americans and their descendants in California, there are wonderful opportunities to organize events throughout the state to showcase Portuguese heritage and culture.
Some of the other events planned in California for Dia de Portugal 2005 include:
. Luso-American Education Foundation Banquet, Sacramento
. Dia de Portugal Picnic, Artesia
. Dia de Portugal Open, Golf Tournament in Turlock
. Mass celebrating Dia de Portugal at Five Wounds Church in San Jose
Various Portuguese communities throughout the country celebrate this wonderful event with banquets, concerts, folklore programs, flag raising ceremonies, and other activities that provide opportunities to celebrate Portuguese culture. For the community-at-large, it's a chance to learn more about the contributions that Portuguese immigrants and their descendants have made towards the advancement of our society and humanity.
For more information on the Dia de Portugal Festival, San Jose, CA 2006, please contact Angela Costa at 415-999-7894 or [email protected]. You can also visit our website at www.diadeportugal.com.
The Portuguese Historical Museum
The Dia de Portugal Festival is also a way to invite people to visit the Portuguese Historical Museum, located at Kelley Park. The Portuguese Historical Museum opened on June 7, 1997, and is one of the major attractions of the History Museums of San Jose. In keeping with the theme of the historical park, depicting life as it was in the Santa Clara Valley at the turn of the 20th century, the Portuguese Historical Museum is a replica of the first permanent imp'erio that was built in San Jose circa 1915 on the present site of the I.E.S. Hall on East Santa Clara Street and U.S. 101.
The Imp'erio, like many of its counterparts in the Azores, was built in honor of the Holy Spirit. It also served as the center of much social and religious activity. It represented the continuation of celebrated traditions making easier the immigrants' transition from the old world to the new.
The current exhibits desribe the role that the Portuguese played in opening the rest of the world to Europe and follws the immigration and settlement of the immigrants in California:
. Portugal and the Discoveries
. Life in the Old Country
. Coming to America
. Making a Living
. The Church
. The Festas
. The Fraternal Benefit Societies
A new exhibit, Shore Whaling in California will open on June 11. this exhibit, sponsored by the Portuguese Heritage Publications, illustrates the establishment of shore whaling stations along the California coast.
For more information about the Portuguese Historical Museum, please visit www.portuguesemuseum.org.
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