Portugal Marks 116th Republic Day: Nationwide Holiday Recalls the 1910 Proclamation in Lisbon
LISBON — October 5 is Republic Day (Implantação da República) in Portugal, and in 2026 it marks the 116th anniversary of the founding of the Republic. It is a nationwide public holiday on the mainland and in the Azores and Madeira alike; tax offices, citizen shops and most public counters close for the day. Falling on a Monday in 2026, it created a three-day weekend.
The day commemorates the revolution of October 5, 1910, when the constitutional monarchy was overthrown and the Republic was proclaimed from the balcony of Lisbon's city hall. King Manuel II went into exile in England, ending nearly eight centuries of monarchy. The date carries a second founding moment: the Treaty of Zamora, recognising Portugal's independence, was signed on October 5, 1143.
The holiday has not always been guaranteed: during the austerity years it was suspended from 2013 to 2015, along with three other holidays, and restored in 2016. Each year the president addresses the nation and ceremonies, including flag-raising and wreath-laying, are held across the country.
For Chinese residents in Portugal, the long weekend is a peak for travel and family activities. This year it overlapped the final days of the easyJet cabin-crew strike window of October 2–6, and flight schedules at Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports were still affected by the strike as the holiday drew to a close.
Sources: Compiled from Portugal Daily News, Funchal Notícias and public-holiday references.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：里斯本市政厅，1910年共和国宣告即在其阳台发表。摄影：Diego Delso，CC BY-SA 3.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
