Christmas Day: when it is in 2026 and 2027
December 25 is the last national holiday of the year and appears in the original list of Law 662, of 1949.
When is Christmas
Next date
Calculating the next occurrence…
2026
- 25DecChristmas DayFriday · long weekendNational holiday
2027
- 25DecChristmas DaySaturday · falls on a weekendNational holiday
In 2026, Christmas falls on a Friday, December 25: the holiday runs straight into the weekend for three days off in a row, from Friday to Sunday, December 25–27, without taking any time off. In 2027, Christmas falls on a Saturday, December 25: the holiday gets lost in the weekend and there is no extra day off, unlike 2026, when the holiday already ran into the weekend.
How the date is set
The date is part of the list of five holidays that Law 662 declared national in 1949. MGI Ordinance No. 11,460, of December 29, 2025, set a federal optional day off on December 24, 2026, Christmas Eve, after 13:00.
What the law says
December 25 is among the dates declared a national holiday by Article 1 of Law 662, of April 6, 1949.
What about people who work on the holiday?
Law 605, of 1949, prohibits work on civil and religious holidays, except where the company’s technical requirements make the work necessary, and guarantees the employee pay for the day (art. 8). When work cannot be suspended, article 9 requires the day to be paid double, unless the employer grants another day off. In retail in general, Law 10,101, of 2000 (art. 6-A), allows work on holidays as long as a collective bargaining agreement authorizes it and municipal legislation is observed. The specific rule depends on the worker’s category, and the collective agreement is the first place to check.
Keep in mind, too, that a long weekend and a bridge day assume a Monday-to-Friday workweek. People who work shifts, such as in retail and health care, may not get this time off, and the federal optional day off does not apply to the private sector.
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.