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2007 Dia de Portugal Dia de Portugal (Day of Portugal) is a national holiday in Portugal. It commemorates the life of Luis de Camões, Portugal's most acclaimed poet, and recognizes the valuable contributions of the many Portuguese communities worldwide. Our San Diego Portuguese community did its part to commemorate Luis de Camões as well as celebrate the Portuguese heritage. The day started off with the raising of the Portuguese and American flags. The anthems were played by our very own Filarmónica União Portuguesa de San Diego. Following the anthems, Fátima Estrella read a message from Portugal's consulate general to the audience. The UPSES youth group then read one of Camões poems. Lunch started with a soup appetizer, then Bife á Portuguesa. This is a traditional Portuguese dish of steak topped with an egg and served with fries. The meat was very tender and came with plenty of garlic. Lunch was served by our very own S.E.S. board of directors. Keeping with the spirit of the song "Casa Portuguesa", there were generous amounts of pão e vinho sobre a mesa (bread and wine on the table). The Portuguese-American dancers performed traditional "folclore" dances from various regions of Portugal such as Madeira, mainland Portugal and the Azores. Two of the many dances performed were the Bailinho da Madeira, and the Chammarita. The children participated in coloring contests, enjoyed face painting and snowcones that highlighted the colors of the Portuguese flag. The winners of the coloring contest were Aaron Gomes, Anthony and Michaela. The Filarmónica União Portuguesa concluded the festivities with a concert. The festivities ended around 5:00 p.m. Thanks to the planning and hard work of the S.E.S. board members and many volunteers, San Diego's Dia de Portugal was a success enjoyed by many people in the community.
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