Brazil has 12 national public holidays and an unofficial but effective shutdown during Carnival. For international teams with Brazilian employees, understanding the Carnival period — which is not a national holiday but functions like one — is as important as knowing the official holiday dates.
Brazil's National Public Holidays 2026
- 1 January — New Year's Day (Confraternização Universal)
- 16 February — Carnival Monday (unofficial but widely observed)
- 17 February — Carnival Tuesday (unofficial but widely observed)
- 18 February — Ash Wednesday (half-day, unofficial)
- 3 April — Good Friday (Sexta-feira Santa)
- 21 April — Tiradentes Day
- 1 May — International Labour Day (Dia do Trabalho)
- 11 June — Corpus Christi
- 7 September — Independence Day (Dia da Independência)
- 12 October — Our Lady of Aparecida (Dia de Nossa Senhora Aparecida)
- 2 November — All Souls' Day (Finados)
- 15 November — Republic Proclamation Day (Proclamação da República)
- 20 November — Black Consciousness Day (Dia da Consciência Negra)
- 25 December — Christmas Day
Carnival: Brazil's Unofficial National Shutdown
Carnival (Carnaval) in 2026 falls 16–18 February. While only the Monday and Tuesday are officially recognized holidays in many municipalities, productivity across Brazil effectively drops from the Friday before (13 February) through Ash Wednesday (18 February). Many Brazilian employees take the entire week off. International teams should plan no deliverables or deadlines during this period.
State and Municipal Holidays
Brazil's states and municipalities add their own holidays. Notable examples: São Paulo observes 25 January (city founding), Rio de Janeiro observes 20 January (Saint Sebastian), Minas Gerais observes 7 September regionally. If you have employees concentrated in specific cities, research their local calendar.
The November Cluster
November has 3 national holidays in quick succession: 2 November (All Souls' Day), 15 November (Republic Day), and 20 November (Black Consciousness Day). Many Brazilian workers bridge these into extended long weekends. Plan Q4 handoffs with this in mind.
Managing Brazilian Holidays for Global Teams
The US and Brazil have minimal holiday overlap, making cross-team scheduling feasible most of the year — but Carnival and the November cluster are major exceptions. Build communication checkpoints before Carnival week.
View the full list of Brazil's public holidays and add them to your Google Calendar at autolidays.com/holidays/brazil
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carnival a public holiday in Brazil?
Carnival itself is not a federal public holiday, but Carnival Monday and Tuesday are declared municipal holidays in most Brazilian cities. In practice, most businesses shut down from the Friday before through Ash Wednesday.
Does Brazil observe Boxing Day?
No. Brazil does not observe Boxing Day (26 December). Christmas Day (25 December) is the only national holiday in the Christmas/New Year cluster beyond New Year's Day itself.
How do I manage Brazilian holidays in Google Calendar?
Google Calendar offers a Brazilian holidays calendar you can subscribe to, but it primarily covers federal holidays and may miss state and municipal holidays. Autolidays imports the correct holidays for Brazilian employees automatically.
Automate Your Brazilian Holiday Calendar
Stop manually tracking Brazilian holidays. Autolidays syncs Brazil's national and state holidays directly to your Google Calendar. Visit autolidays.com/holidays/brazil to get started.