Brazil Public Holidays 2026
2026 is an exceptional year for days off in Brazil: Independence Day (Sep 7), Our Lady of Aparecida (Oct 12) and All Souls' Day (Nov 2) all fall on Monday, Black Awareness Day (Nov 20) on Friday, and Portaria MGI nº 11.460/2025 makes Mon Apr 20 and Fri Jun 5 official pontos bridging Tiradentes and Corpus Christi. Only Republic Proclamation Day (Nov 15) is lost to a weekend.
Federal holidays
10 (+ Corpus Christi)
Carnival
Sat Feb 14 – Tue Feb 17
Lost to weekends
1 date (Nov 15)
Monday holidays
Sep 7 · Oct 12 · Nov 2
2026 Brazil calendar
01January
02February
03March
04April
05May
06June
07July
08August
09September
10October
11November
12December
Brazil public holiday list
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year's DayThursday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| February 16, 2026 | Monday | Carnival MondayNot a statutory national holiday — a ponto facultativo declared each year. In practice banks close and most of the country stops.Observance | Observance |
| February 17, 2026 | Tuesday | Carnival TuesdayNot a statutory national holiday — a ponto facultativo declared each year. In practice banks close and most of the country stops.Observance | Observance |
| April 3, 2026 | Friday | Good FridayGuaranteed nationwide as a religious holiday under Lei 9.093/1995.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 21, 2026 | Tuesday | TiradentesTuesday. Monday Apr 20 is a ponto facultativo for the federal administration under Portaria MGI nº 11.460/2025, making a four-day break.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 1, 2026 | Friday | Labour DayFriday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| June 4, 2026 | Thursday | Corpus ChristiA religious holiday under Lei 9.093/1995, gazetted by municipal law across virtually the whole country (the federal administration gazettes it yearly); banks and most businesses close.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| September 7, 2026 | Monday | Independence DayMonday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| October 12, 2026 | Monday | Our Lady of AparecidaMonday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| November 2, 2026 | Monday | All Souls' DayMonday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| November 15, 2026 | Sunday | Republic Proclamation DayFalls on a Sunday — Brazil grants no substitute weekday, so the day off is lost.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| November 20, 2026 | Friday | Black Awareness DayNational holiday since 2024 under Lei 14.759/2023 — previously a state or municipal holiday in many places.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas DayFriday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
Brazil long weekends in 2026
Carnival
4 daysFeb 14 – 17
Carnival Monday and Tuesday are ponto facultativo, not statutory holidays — but the country effectively shuts down from Saturday to Tuesday.
Good Friday
3 daysApr 3 – 5
Tiradentes
4 daysApr 18 – 21
Tiradentes (Tue Apr 21) plus the weekend, with Monday Apr 20 a ponto facultativo for the federal administration under Portaria MGI nº 11.460/2025.
Labour Day
3 daysMay 1 – 3
Corpus Christi
4 daysJun 4 – 7
Corpus Christi (Thu Jun 4) plus the weekend, with Friday Jun 5 a ponto facultativo for the federal administration under Portaria MGI nº 11.460/2025.
Independence Day
3 daysSep 5 – 7
Our Lady of Aparecida
3 daysOct 10 – 12
All Souls' Day
3 daysOct 31 – Nov 2
Black Awareness Day
3 daysNov 20 – 22
Christmas Day
3 daysDec 25 – 27
Feriado nacional vs ponto facultativo
Brazil's statutory national holidays (feriados nacionais) are set by federal law — Lei 662/1949 and its amendments, Lei 6.802/1980 for Our Lady of Aparecida, and Lei 14.759/2023 for Black Awareness Day — with Good Friday guaranteed nationwide as a religious holiday under Lei 9.093/1995. A ponto facultativo is different: an optional day declared each year by the federal administration for the public sector, which private employers follow by custom or collective agreement.
The most famous pontos are Carnival Monday and Tuesday, plus Ash Wednesday until 2pm — none of them statutory, yet banks close and the country effectively stops. For 2026, Portaria MGI nº 11.460/2025 goes further: it also makes Monday Apr 20 and Friday Jun 5 pontos, bridging Tiradentes and Corpus Christi into four-day breaks for the federal administration. Half-day pontos on December 24 and 31 are customary too.
No substitute rule — the art of "emendar"
Brazil has no substitute-holiday rule: when a holiday falls on a weekend, it is simply lost. 2026 barely suffers — only Republic Proclamation Day (Nov 15) lands on a Sunday. Every other date cooperates, which is what makes 2026 such a strong year for time off.
On top of that, Brazilians "emendar" — they bridge. When a holiday lands on a Tuesday or Thursday, workers take the adjacent Monday or Friday off (a ponto facultativo or a vacation day) to build a four-day break. In 2026 the federal administration does the bridging for you around Tiradentes (Apr 21) and Corpus Christi (Jun 4), and the Monday run of Sep 7, Oct 12 and Nov 2 needs no bridging at all.
State and municipal holidays add more days off
On top of the national list, every state and municipality adds its own holidays. São Paulo state keeps July 9, the anniversary of the 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution. City days matter too: São Paulo city rests on its anniversary, January 25, while Rio de Janeiro marks January 20 (St Sebastian, the city's patron) and April 23 (St George). Always check the local calendar for the city you are in.
Black Awareness Day (Nov 20) followed exactly this path: it was a state or municipal holiday in many parts of Brazil for years — honouring Zumbi dos Palmares — before Lei 14.759/2023 made it a national holiday from 2024. In 2026 it falls on a Friday, closing out an unusually generous November.
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Official sources & data
- Lei nº 662, de 6 de abril de 1949 (feriados nacionais)Visit sourcePresidência da República — Planalto
- Lei nº 6.802, de 30 de junho de 1980 (Nossa Senhora Aparecida)Visit sourcePresidência da República — Planalto
- Lei nº 14.759, de 21 de dezembro de 2023 (Dia Nacional de Zumbi e da Consciência Negra)Visit sourcePresidência da República — Planalto
- Feriados e pontos facultativosVisit sourceMinistério das Relações Exteriores — gov.br
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Brazil have in 2026?+
Brazil has 10 federal feriados nacionais in 2026 — with Good Friday guaranteed nationwide under Lei 9.093/1995 — plus Corpus Christi (Jun 4), gazetted by municipal law virtually everywhere. Carnival Monday and Tuesday (Feb 16–17) are ponto facultativo, not statutory holidays, though the country stops anyway. Portaria MGI nº 11.460/2025 also makes Apr 20 and Jun 5 optional points for the federal administration.
Is Carnival a public holiday in Brazil?+
Not by federal statute. Carnival Monday and Tuesday are declared ponto facultativo each year, and Ash Wednesday is a ponto until 2pm. In practice, though, banks close, government offices stop and much of the private sector shuts down from Saturday to Wednesday noon — longer than most statutory holidays manage. In 2026 that window runs February 14–17.
What is a ponto facultativo?+
An optional day off declared by the federal administration (by annual portaria) for public-sector workers. It is not a statutory holiday: private employers decide whether to follow, and most do by custom or collective agreement. The classic pontos are Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Ash Wednesday until 2pm, and half days on December 24 and 31. For 2026 the list also includes Mon Apr 20 and Fri Jun 5 (Portaria MGI nº 11.460/2025).
What happens when a holiday falls on a weekend in Brazil?+
It is lost — Brazil has no substitute-holiday rule, so no weekday is given in return. 2026 is merciful: only Republic Proclamation Day (Nov 15) falls on a weekend. The rest of the calendar is unusually kind, with three Monday holidays and a Friday Black Awareness Day, plus official bridge pontos around Tiradentes and Corpus Christi.
Is Corpus Christi a national holiday in Brazil?+
Technically it is a religious holiday under Lei 9.093/1995, which lets municipalities gazette religious holidays — and virtually every municipality has gazetted Corpus Christi. The federal administration also gazettes it yearly. So while it is not on the statutory feriados nacionais list, banks and most businesses close across the country on June 4, 2026.
When is Black Awareness Day, and is it a national holiday?+
Black Awareness Day (Dia Nacional de Zumbi e da Consciência Negra) is November 20. Yes — Lei 14.759/2023 made it a national holiday from 2024, honouring Zumbi dos Palmares. Before that it was already a state or municipal holiday in many parts of Brazil. In 2026 it falls on a Friday, making an automatic three-day weekend.
