The 25th of April, or the Carnation Revolution, is a very important date in the Portuguese calendar, it is increasingly seen as a day to discuss the true meaning of freedom, to reflect on the past, the present and especially the course the people want to take as a nation. 

The history behind that date goes back to 1974 where on the 25th of April, the “revolutionaries” made a peaceful statement against an oppressive regime by placing flowers, or carnations down the barrels of the Military’s guns. All this started in an unusual way in that the Military commanders who were planning the “coup” played a piece of music through the airwaves via a radio station, ‘’Rádio Renascença’’, the piece of music played was "Grândola, Vila Morena" this was a Portuguese song by Zeca Afonso, that tells of the friendship among the people of Grândola, a town in the Alentejo region of Portugal. This song was originally banned by the existing regime.