Thursday is the 50th anniversary of Portugal's Carnation revolution

[LotusBud]

We went to a reenactment tonight. It's an awesome slice of history.

 

[Lily]

I will admit ignorance. I don't know what that is...care to share? I will look it up online, but it won't explain what it's like to see it.

Wow, only 50 years ago. That's pretty incredible in itself after looking that up.

 

[LotusBud]

Portugal had a dictator -- Salazar -- for 40 years. Portuguese soldiers were fighting in Angola in 1974. They were sick of it and didn't want to continue fighting. They revolted by putting carnations in the ends of their rifles and refusing to go -- supported en masse by the public. It was a virtually bloodless revolution. Ousted the dictator. They call it the carnation revolution. That dictator is probably why Portugal is basically a progressive country now. During the time immediately before and after midnight April 24/25 this happened.

 

[Lily]

Portugal had a dictator -- Salazar -- for 40 years. Portuguese soldiers were fighting in Angola in 1974. They were sick of it and didn't want to continue fighting. They revolted by putting carnations in the ends of their rifles and refusing to go -- supported en masse by the public. It was a virtually bloodless revolution. Ousted the dictator. They call it the carnation revolution. That dictator is probably why Portugal is basically a progressive country now. During the time immediately before and after midnight April 24/25 this happened.

I read about it last night. Seems that the dictator was continuing policies that came from Portuguese colonialism.

 

[LotusBud]

So, anyway, last night we all got red carnations passed out by military men in their jeeps, and a big band played the previously illegal song they played at midnight that night. Everyone knows the lyrics to the song, so the whole crowd sang along. The Portugues are super emotional about this stuff.

 

[LotusBud]

I read about it last night. Seems that the dictator was continuing policies that came from Portuguese colonialism.

Yup. He was horrible. Starving the Portuguese people. There are two generations of super short people because of him. Portguese people are actually very tall. But people born and raised in his years are very tiny.

 

[Lily]

Yup. He was horrible. Starving the Portuguese people. There are two generations of super short people because of him. Portguese people are actually very tall. But people born and raised in his years are very tiny.

I knew of Franci in Spain, interesting that I'd never heard of Salazar.

 

[LotusBud]

Yup. He was horrible. Starving the Portuguese people. There are two generations of super short people because of him. Portguese people are actually very tall. But people born and raised in his years are very tiny.

My Portugues teacher always tells people she is "from the short years." LOL

I ran into another Portuguese friend of mine last night and when she saw my red carnation, she said, "So you are truly Portuguese now." They're so incredibly sweet.

 

[LotusBud]

I knew of Franci in Spain, interesting that I'd never heard of Salazar.

Portugal just was never on anybody's radar before the lasst couple of years. But Franco and Salazar were contemporaries for awhile there. Kind of from the same cloth.

 

[Lily]

My Portugues teacher always tells people she is "from the short years." LOL

I ran into another Portuguese friend of mine last night and when she saw my red carnation, she said, "So you are truly Portuguese now." They're so incredibly sweet.

That is touching. :)

 

[Lily]

Portugal just was never on anybody's radar before the lasst couple of years. But Franco and Salazar were contemporaries for awhile there. Kind of from the same cloth.

I figured as much. Birds of a feather...