25 April, the Carnation Revolution, Portugal Watch

25 April Revolution, the Carnation Revolution, began as a military coup by several hundred lieutenants, captains, and majors disappointed by their colonial war experience in Africa. The authoritarian regime had been in power for almost 50 years. A red carnation was their symbol and this illustration was inspired by it. The story of this Portuguese symbol is that Tourist Day was being celebrated and there were lots of carnations for distribution in the markets of Lisbon back in 1974. An important restaurant was holding a party to celebrate one year of existence but because of the Revolution going on the manager decided not to open for the day. It also bought carnations that were given to employees that took the flowers home. One woman that was passing by was asked for a cigar by a military from the revolutionary coup. But she was a non-smoker. So she gave him the carnation and immediately he placed it in the barrel of the gun. Her name is Celeste Caeiro and she's known since that day as Celeste dos Cravos, Celeste of the Carnations. The people began to hand the carnations out to the troops, they decorated decorating their tanks and rifles with the flower – hence the event became known as the Carnation Revolution. The gesture was then replicated and the carnations become a spontaneous symbol of the April 25 revolution and one of the most meaningful flowers for the Portuguese. If you have a friend, co-worker, teacher, or a relative of Portuguese nationality, they will undoubtedly appreciate this illustration because everyone knows that this flower means liberty.