Dia de Portugal

Known in full as Day of Portugal, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities, Portugal’s National Day is on 10 June. On the closest Saturday it seems typical that every year the Portuguese school in Maputo puts on a show of music, beer, pastéis de nata, crafts and posturing.

People seem to embrace it wholeheartedly despite the fraught history between Mozambique and Portugal. The 24/20 order is a well-known phrase from 1975 when Mozambique won its independence. Ethnic Portuguese living in Mozambique at the time were ordered to leave within 24 hours carrying 20kg of luggage, or surrender their passports and adopt Mozambican citizenship. Probably a fairly stressful choice to make.