Brazil 2026 Public Holidays

New Year's Day

1 January. In many countries the day off moves to the following Monday when it falls on a weekend.

The first day of the Gregorian calendar year, and the most widely observed public holiday in the world — a day off in almost every country that uses the Gregorian calendar, regardless of religion. Several countries extend the break to 2 January, and some in East Asia keep both the Gregorian and a separate lunar new year.

Carnival Monday

The Monday before Ash Wednesday.

Rosenmontag in German-speaking Europe, the peak parade day of Carnival. A public holiday in several Caribbean states and a de facto day off across the Rhineland, though not a statutory one.

Carnival Tuesday

The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

The final and largest day of Carnival, a public holiday across much of the Caribbean and in several Latin American countries.

Good Friday

The Friday before Easter Sunday.

Commemorates the crucifixion, and is the most widely observed Christian public holiday after Christmas. Together with Easter Monday it produces a four-day weekend in much of Europe, the Commonwealth and Latin America. In several countries it also carries trading or entertainment restrictions beyond the day off itself.

Labor Day

1 May in most countries; the first Monday of September in the United States and Canada.

The workers' holiday. Almost everywhere it falls on 1 May; in the United States and Canada it was deliberately placed in September to avoid the associations of May Day.

Corpus Christi

The Thursday 60 days after Easter Sunday.

A Catholic feast honouring the Eucharist, marked by processions. A public holiday in Brazil, Poland, Portugal, Austria, much of Latin America and several German and Swiss regions — one of the clearest cases where a holiday is regional rather than national.

Independence Day

The anniversary of the country's independence — a different date in every country.

The national day of a country that gained independence from another state, and typically its most important secular holiday. Over a hundred countries observe one, on dates ranging across the whole calendar.

All Souls' Day

2 November.

Commemorates the departed, the day after All Saints'. A public holiday in Brazil, Mexico, Portugal's former colonies and several Central European countries.

Christmas Eve

24 December.

The evening of 24 December is the main celebration in the Nordics, Germany, Poland and much of Central Europe, where gifts are exchanged that night rather than on Christmas morning. Often a half day or a de facto day off rather than a statutory holiday.

Christmas Day

25 December. The day off moves to the following weekday when it falls on a weekend.

The most widely observed public holiday after New Year's Day, a day off in the great majority of countries including many with no Christian majority, where it functions as a secular end-of-year holiday. Orthodox churches following the Julian calendar keep it on 7 January instead.

New Year's Eve

31 December.

The last day of the year. A full public holiday in a minority of countries; far more often a half day, a de facto early finish, or simply a marked date on which people still work.