Brazilian Independence Day
September 7 · Level 10 · #66 of 2238
Brazilian Independence Day commemorates the country's break with Portugal in 1822. Its defining historical image is Prince Pedro's declaration near the Ipiranga River, remembered as a symbol of Brazil taking control of its own future.
How it is celebrated: military and civic parades, official ceremonies and school performances mark the occasion. Brazilian flags appear across public spaces, with green and yellow setting the colour scheme.
Independence initially created an empire rather than a republic. Pedro became Emperor Pedro I, and Brazil did not become a republic until 1889.