This year marks the 51st anniversary of the Carnation Revolution. As usual, there are various initiatives all over the country to celebrate the date. However, do you know what life was like in Portugal before April 25, 1974?
For example, there was Censorship – a political mechanism that exercised direct control over the journalistic, literary and cultural media. However, there are other aspects that can (and should) be mentioned. That’s why we’ve put together a few curiosities in one article.
Six things that couldn’t be done
1 – Boys to one side and girls to the other
Children had to wear uniforms and were separated by gender. There were no mixed classes. And sometimes the girls went to school in the morning and the boys in the afternoon.
2 – There was no freedom of expression
You couldn’t say anything bad about the government or express a contrary opinion, at the risk of being arrested by PIDE.
In addition, everything was subject to the strict ‘blue pencil’ of censorship and it was common for books, music, drawings and news items to be seized for jeopardizing public order.
3 – There was no free vote
What’s more, women could only vote if they had a secondary education.
4 – Nurses, telephone operators and TAP flight attendants couldn’t get married
Female teachers also had to have a special permit. All married women needed their husband’s permission to leave the country alone.
5 – Discussion of ideas was not allowed
Obviously, associations or meetings of groups of people were also forbidden. At its inception, any movement that could lead to opposition to the government was not allowed.
6 – Workers’ Day was not allowed to be celebrated
In 1974, after the Revolution, there were several popular celebrations throughout the country. In Lisbon alone, more than a million people took to the streets. May 1st gained even more importance precisely because celebrations were not allowed during the dictatorship.
There were many more restrictions. For example, no Coca-Cola or anything else foreign that wasn’t validated by the regime and that could undermine its authority could enter the country.
These are just a few examples. What we now take for granted as a right was not even open for discussion a few years ago. Hence the importance of this day and why we should celebrate it !