On April 25, 1974 the Carnation Revolution began in Portugal, leading to the overthrow of the Estado Novo dictatorship.

The revolution began as a coup organized by the Armed Forces Movement (Movimento das Forças Armadas, MFA), composed of military officers who opposed the regime. The MFA was headed by Vítor Alves, Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho and Vasco Lourenço. The movement was aided by other Portuguese army officers who supported Spínola and democratic civil and military reform. It is speculated that Francisco da Costa Gomes actually led the revolution.
https://portuguesemuseum.org/?page_id=1808&exhibit=31&event=348

Revolution of 1974, 50 Years : Carnations
Issued in 2024 by Portuguese post
Illustrator: Fernando Pendão
Designers: Atelier Pendão & Prior

The theme for the design of this joint issue had to be the red carnation, a symbol of peace in the midst of the revolution, the flower that was stuck in the barrels of the G3 rifles by the women of Lisbon. And so, instead of firing shots, the guns became flowerpots. We have two stamps in this issue. On one of them, the carnation is red, like the original. On the other stamp, the carnation’s petals are given the colours of the flags of the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa
PAGELA 25 ABRIL – 50 ANOS_CONJUNTA_TXT.pdf

A companion set of stamps was released for the Carnation Revolution celebrations. They focused on the joyous aftermath of the revolution. 

The Arts of 25 April
Carnation Revolution series
Illustrator: Fernando Pendão using the artwork of
André Carrilho, Daniel Rocha, Félix Esteves, Sebastião Rodrigues, SMILE and the Underdogs collective
Designer: Atelier Pendão & Prior

One of the most visible outcomes of the 25 April revolution was the explosion of colour and image that flooded the country. While freedom of expression took shape through the written and spoken word, in the theatre and cinema, and in television reports that for the first time made viewers feel involved in what they heard and saw, the streets and squares of Portugal also became large-scale canvases where free rein was given to the act of creation, with no limitations other than ethics and the common sense of each participant. Discovering a new, almost intoxicating aesthetic, graphic art took on a role of intervention, voicing subjects and feelings that for a long time had been repressed.

Art came out onto the streets. Artists experimented with new languages, already anticipating the phenomenon of street art that would later become prominent, and they were able to externalise their feelings freely. This new situation also allowed for the creation of new audiences for this type of artistic expression, ordinary people, passers-by who, regardless of whether or not they wanted to participate, were called upon to bear witness to this unstoppable movement.

The appearance of large-scale political propaganda and the need to convey the various categorical messages that, for the first time, found an open stage, contributed to accelerating the development of this type
of expression in the country.
PAGELA 25 ABRIL – 50 ANOS_TXT.pdf