Holidays 2026: calendar complete, with bridge days and optional days off
All 2026 national holidays with the day of the week, the ones that make a long weekend, the movable dates (Carnival, Good Friday, Corpus Christi) and the confirmed federal optional days off.
National holidays in 2026
Easter 2026 falls on April 5, and it is the starting point for calculating the dates with no fixed day: Good Friday, on April 3; Carnival, with Monday and Tuesday on February 16 and 17; and Corpus Christi, on June 4.
For the federal civil service, MGI Ordinance No. 11,460, of December 29, 2025, published in the DOU (Brazil’s federal gazette) of Dec 30, 2025, Section 1, p. 59, set 9 optional days off in 2026: February 16, February 17, February 18 (until 14:00), April 20, June 4, June 5, October 28, December 24 (after 13:00) and December 31 (after 13:00). An optional day off is not a holiday and does not bind private companies, states or municipalities; it is a rule for federal government agencies. MGI is the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services.
- 1JanNew Year’s DayThursday · Friday bridge dayNational holiday
- 3AprGood FridayFriday · long weekendReligious holiday, treated as a national holiday
- 21AprTiradentesTuesday · Monday bridge dayNational holiday
- 1MayInternational Workers' DayFriday · long weekendNational holiday
- 7SepBrazilian Independence DayMonday · long weekendNational holiday
- 12OctOur Lady of AparecidaMonday · long weekendNational holiday
- 2NovAll Souls' DayMonday · long weekendNational holiday
- 15NovProclamation of the RepublicSunday · falls on a weekendNational holiday
- 20NovNational Day of Zumbi and Black AwarenessFriday · long weekendNational holiday
- 25DecChristmas DayFriday · long weekendNational holiday
Long weekends and bridge days
- New Year’s DayThursday, January 1, 2026you can bridge Friday: 4 days off in a row, Thu Jan 1 to Sun Jan 4
- Good FridayFriday, April 3, 20263-day long weekend (Fri Apr 3 to Sun Apr 5)
- TiradentesTuesday, April 21, 2026you can bridge Monday: 4 days off in a row, Sat Apr 18 to Tue Apr 21
- International Workers' DayFriday, May 1, 20263-day long weekend (Fri May 1 to Sun May 3)
- Brazilian Independence DayMonday, September 7, 20263-day long weekend (Sat Sep 5 to Mon Sep 7)
- Our Lady of AparecidaMonday, October 12, 20263-day long weekend (Sat Oct 10 to Mon Oct 12)
- All Souls' DayMonday, November 2, 20263-day long weekend (Sat Oct 31 to Mon Nov 2)
- National Day of Zumbi and Black AwarenessFriday, November 20, 20263-day long weekend (Fri Nov 20 to Sun Nov 22)
- Christmas DayFriday, December 25, 20263-day long weekend (Fri Dec 25 to Sun Dec 27)
Movable dates (calculated from Easter)
Federal optional days off in 2026
Optional days off for federal agencies in 2026, set by MGI Ordinance No. 11,460, of December 29, 2025 (Federal Gazette, DOU, of Dec 30, 2025, Section 1, p. 59). An optional day off is not a holiday: it applies to federal agencies, while companies, states and municipalities follow their own rules.
- 16FebCarnival (Monday)MondayFederal optional day off
- 17FebCarnival (Tuesday)TuesdayFederal optional day off
- 18FebAsh WednesdayWednesday, until 14:00Federal optional day off
- 20AprOptional day off (Monday between Sunday and the Tiradentes holiday)MondayFederal optional day off
- 4JunCorpus ChristiThursdayFederal optional day off
- 5JunOptional day off (Friday after Corpus Christi)FridayFederal optional day off
- 28OctFederal Civil Servant DayWednesdayFederal optional day off
- 24DecChristmas EveThursday, after 13:00Federal optional day off
- 31DecNew Year’s EveThursday, after 13:00Federal optional day off
What about holidays in my state and my city?
This page lists only the holidays national. State and municipal holidays vary by location: Law 9,093/1995 lets each state set its principal date, and lets each municipality declare the start and end days of its founding centennial year and up to four religious holidays, including Good Friday. To find out yours, check with your city hall or state government.
Sources
- Law 662/1949 (Planalto)
- Law 10,607/2002 (Planalto)
- Law 6,802/1980 (Planalto)
- Law 9,093/1995 (Planalto)
- Law 14,759/2023 (Planalto)
- MGI Ordinance 11,460/2025 (Federal Official Gazette)
- Law 605/1949, rest days and holidays (Planalto)
- Law 10,101/2000, art. 6-A (Planalto)
- BrasilAPI, date cross-check
Dates calculated by RaisLife (Easter using the Meeus/Jones/Butcher algorithm) and checked against BrasilAPI for the years generated (2024 to 2030); the classification of each date follows federal law and the ordinances of the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services. For information only: it does not replace consulting the law, your professional category’s collective bargaining agreement, or your state and city calendar.