During the 25 April 1974 revolution, the Portuguese recognised some people as distinguished people due to their actions during the revolution. Celeste Caeiro was one of the personalities that Portuguese people admire and cherish for her simple acts, which gave a name to the revolution.

At the time of the revolution, Celeste Caeiro was working at a restaurant celebrating its first anniversary. However, the presence of the soldiers in the streets led all establishments to close, including Celeste’s workplace. To celebrate the date, her boss wanted to hand out flowers, namely carnations, to every woman who had a meal at the restaurant.

With the restaurant closed, the boss gave the flowers to the employees, but when Celeste Caeiro went outside, the soldiers and many other civilians were passing through the streets. With lots of flowers in her hand, Celeste asked one of the soldiers what was happening, and according to many statements from her, the soldier answered, “It is a revolution”, and asked Celeste for a cigarette. The woman never smoked; therefore, she was not able to give him a cigarette and handed him a carnation instead, which he placed on the barrel of his rifle. From Chiado until Igreja dos Mártires, Celeste gave carnations to the soldiers, who also put the flower in their rifles.


The pictures of the soldiers carrying the carnation on their guns were spread worldwide, giving a name to the peaceful revolution that happened on 25 April 1974, which ended the far-right dictatorship lived in Portugal since 1933.

Celeste Caeiro died months after the 50th anniversary of the revolution, a date that, besides medical advice, she celebrated along with her granddaughter, giving carnations to the people who were also celebrating the date in Lisbon. Celeste Caeiro was also present at the Avante! Party, celebrating alongside the Portuguese Communist Party on the same date. João Ferreira, from the communist party, revealed, after the funeral of Celeste, that Lisbon’s City Hall wanted to give her a Medal of Honour, but it was not possible to do it before her death.

Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos