October 13: National Pilgrim Day

On October 13, Portugal celebrates National Pilgrim Day, a recent addition to the national calendar that has been gaining importance year after year. The date was created in 2014 to acknowledge the historical, cultural and spiritual significance of pilgrimage in the country, as well as its social and economic relevance, highlighting the role of pilgrimage destinations and Jacobean routes that continue to attract thousands of people every year.

The choice of this date is closely linked to the Apparitions of Fátima. On October 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared to the three shepherd children, in a moment that gave rise to one of the country’s most important pilgrimage traditions. Every year, thousands of people walk across Portugal to the Sanctuary, reinforcing the symbolism of a date long associated with faith, journey and encounter.

The official establishment of National Pilgrim Day took place through Resolution Project No. 1050/XII, approved in 2014 in Parliament. The document recognises the historical and religious importance of pilgrimages, emphasising their social, cultural and economic dimension. It also recalls the 1987 declaration of the Council of Europe, which highlighted the unifying role of pilgrimage routes in building a society based on tolerance, freedom and solidarity.

Since then, the date has been marked with symbolic activities in several Portuguese towns, including public presentations, walks, cultural sessions and promotional events. Every year, the programme changes, but the spirit remains the same: to celebrate pilgrimage and the community that keeps it alive.

More than just a date on the calendar, National Pilgrim Day has become a moment of shared reflection and gathering around the tradition of pilgrimage, helping renew attention to these practices and to the role they continue to play in the life of the country.