7th of September marks the start of a 5 week celebration of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world in the UK. The Mes amigo, or Amigo month, is a festival or celebration of the contribution of around 5 million people living in the UK who have Hispanic and Lusophone heritage.
It’s not clear when this Hispanic – Lusophone celebration started (a current official website could not be found), but it appears to have originated and grown from the community itself. The celebration seems to be of enough relevance to warrant a video from London Mayor Sadiq Khan:
Why a 5 week festival?
There are around 5 million Spanish- Portuguese speakers in the UK and many reasons to celebrate the culture and contributions from these communities.
The period of 5 weeks includes important dates in around 30 countries where Spanish and Portuguese is an official language. Portugal, for example, celebrates the implantation of the Republic on the 5th of October. In 1910 Portugal became the first republic of the Iberian Peninsula. See more dates here.
Did you know? Portugal is England’s oldest ally. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance was ratified at the Treaty of Windsor in 1386,
Find out more
It’s not easy to find an events programme for Mes Amigo. It appears that there is a combination of celebrations of food and traditions led by the communities, within the communities. Check your closest community centre, shop or restaurant of a country of Spanish or Portuguese heritage. You can also find out more in one of these links:
Share your event
Do you know more about Mes Amigo or have an event you’d like to share? Pop it in the comments below or email mothertonguenotes (a) gmail.com.
Viva Mes Amigo! #MesAmigo