Google Doodle Celebrates Portugal’s National Day

Happy Dia de Camões, Portugal!

Portugal interestingly observes its national day in remembrance of one of the country’s most influential poets: Luís de Camões.

The present Doodle honors this nation-wide holiday, celebrated yearly by the Portuguese community around the world.

Luís de Camões’ masterpiece, the 1572 epic poem “Os Lusíadas” (“The Lusiads”), is generally viewed as the main work of literature in the Portuguese language.

This literary masterpiece memorializes Camões’ travels and the Portuguese navigations of a oceanic trade route to India by wayfarer Vasco de Gama.

Since the time Portugal acquired independence in 1640, June 10 has been seen as Dia de Camões. Generally on this day, the national Portuguese type of music and song known as fado can be heard echoing into the streets, as revelers celebrate this centuries-long tradition of their shared Portuguese heritage.

An image of the nation’s culture, fado music features the Portuguese guitar, a 12-stringed chordophone portrayed in the Doodle artwork.