Public holidays in Brazil, 2026 and 2027

Brazil has ten national public holidays a year, set by federal law, and since 2024 that includes 20 November. Carnival and Corpus Christi are not among them: they are optional days off in the federal calendar, although most of the country stops anyway. States and cities add holidays of their own.

Last checked: 23 September 2026

The short answer

National public holidays: Ten a year, set by federal law.
Newest holiday: 20 November, Black Consciousness Day, national since 2024.
Carnival 2027: Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 February, optional days off, not public holidays.
Easter 2027: Good Friday 26 March is a national holiday, Easter Sunday is 28 March.

All national public holidays in 2027

Nine of the ten holidays are fixed by law to a date. Good Friday moves with Easter. The federal government confirms the list, together with the optional days off, in a decree each December for the following year, so the 2027 decree will appear around December 2026.

1 January, Friday. New Year's Day, Confraternização Universal.
26 March, Friday. Good Friday, Paixão de Cristo.
21 April, Wednesday. Tiradentes, the hero of the independence movement.
1 May, Saturday. Labour Day.
7 September, Tuesday. Independence Day.
12 October, Tuesday. Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Brazil's patron saint, also Children's Day.
2 November, Tuesday. All Souls' Day, Finados.
15 November, Monday. Proclamation of the Republic.
20 November, Saturday. National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness.
25 December, Saturday. Christmas Day.

The public holidays still ahead in 2026

From the date this page was last checked, five national holidays remain in 2026. Two of them fall on a Monday and two on a Friday, which makes four long weekends in the last quarter.

12 October, Monday. Nossa Senhora Aparecida.
2 November, Monday. All Souls' Day.
15 November, Sunday. Proclamation of the Republic.
20 November, Friday. Black Consciousness Day.
25 December, Friday. Christmas Day.

Carnival, Ash Wednesday and Corpus Christi are not public holidays

Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Ash Wednesday until 2 p.m. and Corpus Christi are ponto facultativo in the federal calendar, an optional day off rather than a legal holiday. The same goes for the afternoons of 24 and 31 December and for Public Servants' Day on 28 October.

In practice Carnival shuts more of Brazil than most real holidays do, and in 2027 it falls on 8 and 9 February, with Corpus Christi on Thursday 27 May. What is actually closed varies by state, city and employer, which is exactly why it helps to know the difference. Our guide to Carnival in Brazil covers the dates to 2032.

What is closed on a public holiday in Brazil?

On a national holiday the law allows only private and public activity that is absolutely necessary, so government offices and banks close and many shops do too. What a traveller uses mostly keeps running: beaches, parks, restaurants, hotels, flights and guided tours.

Two things are worth planning around. Museums and churches keep their own holiday hours, so a museum morning on a holiday is worth checking in advance. And anything that needs a bank or an office, from changing a booking at a counter to a document, waits for the next working day.

How do public holidays affect a trip to Brazil?

A public holiday on a Monday or Friday turns into a long weekend of domestic travel, and the coast and the popular towns fill up and get more expensive. When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many Brazilians take the day in between off as well, and the federal government sometimes declares that bridge day optional too, as it did for 20 April and 5 June 2026.

In 2027 three holidays fall on a Tuesday: 7 September, 12 October and 2 November. Expect busy long weekends around each of them. The two biggest peaks of the year are not on this list at all, though: New Year, covered in our guide to New Year's Eve in Rio, and Carnival, with the July school holidays as the third. We check the holiday calendar for your route before we book anything.

State and city holidays

On top of the ten national holidays, each state may set its own date of state pride by law, and cities declare their own religious holidays and anniversaries. That is why a date can be a normal working day in São Paulo and a holiday in Salvador, or the other way round.

These local days rarely change a trip, but they can close a museum or fill a small town. We check them for every stop on your route.

Common questions

How many public holidays does Brazil have?

Ten national public holidays a year, set by federal law: 1 January, Good Friday, 21 April, 1 May, 7 September, 12 October, 2 November, 15 November, 20 November and 25 December. States and cities add their own.

Is Carnival a public holiday in Brazil?

No. Carnival Monday and Tuesday are optional days off in the federal calendar, and Ash Wednesday is optional until 2 p.m. In practice much of the country stops anyway. In 2027 Carnival falls on 8 and 9 February.

Is 20 November a public holiday in Brazil?

Yes, since 2024. Law 14,759 of December 2023 made 20 November, the National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness, a national public holiday. Before that it was a holiday only in some states and cities.

Is Good Friday a public holiday in Brazil?

Yes. Good Friday, Paixão de Cristo, is on the federal list of national holidays. In 2027 it falls on 26 March, two days before Easter Sunday on 28 March.

Are shops and restaurants open on public holidays in Brazil?

Restaurants, beaches, hotels, flights and tours mostly run as normal. Government offices and banks close, many shops close too, and museums keep their own holiday hours, so check those in advance.

Where this matters on a trip

Sources

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