Bermudians will get the opportunity to experience a taste of Portugal this weekend.The Vasco Da Gama Club is celebrating Portugal Day with a host of activities today and tomorrow.June 10 is recognised as Portugal Day each year by Portuguese speakers around the world and is a national holiday in Portugal.It is officially known as Dia de Portugal, de Camoes e das Comunidades Portuguesas Day of Portugal, Camoes and the Portuguese Communities.The day commemorates the death of the revered Portuguese poet, Luis Vaz de Camoes in 1580.Camoes is best known for his epic poem, ‘Os Lusiadas’, which celebrates Portuguese history and achievements through the golden age of the country’s maritime exploration and discoveries.Tomorrow’s celebrations at Victoria Park were organised in collaboration with the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs as part of the Historical Heartbeats Lecture Series.Former Speaker of the House Ernest DeCouto will be the guest of honour.The event starts at 2pm with demonstrations of Portuguese cooking, traditional Christmas nativity scenes, embroidery, music and dancing. There will be talks on historical aspects of Portuguese culture, genealogy and spirituality.Guest speakers include former MP Clarence Terceira, veteran concert promoter Eddie DeMello, farmer Carlos Amaral and Patricia Marirea Mudd author of ‘Portuguese Bermudians: Early History and Reference Guide’.There will also be performances by singer, Stephanie Pacheco and the Portuguese Folkloric Dancers.“We will be sharing little pieces of the culture,” said Andrea Moniz-DeSouza, secretary of the executive board of the Vasco Da Gama Club. “The event is free. The food tent is the only thing that people have to pay for, and we are fundraising money for the Portuguese School of Bermuda. In these difficult financial times, a lot of our normal sources of funding have dried up.”Mrs Moniz-DeSouza said the event hadn’t been celebrated on any large scale since the 1990s when the Portuguese Cultural Association stopped operating.“The Vasco Da Gama club, the only Portuguese organisation left on the Island, has always organised a cocktail party for members, as we are doing this evening,” she added. “We have also arranged football games and other small events. This year, we decided to do something more.”Today’s celebrations begin with a cocktail party at the club on Reid Street open to members. The general public is invited to attend from 9.30pm.