Holiday

Labor Day: when it is in 2026 and 2027

May 1 is the day the world remembers the fight for workers’ rights. In Brazil, the date is listed in Law 662, of 1949, and the ordinance from the Ministry of Management calls it World Labor Day.

When is Labor Day

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2026

1MayInternational Workers' DayFriday · long weekendNational holiday

2027

1MayInternational Workers' DaySaturday · falls on a weekendNational holiday

In 2026, Labor Day falls on a Friday, May 1: the holiday runs straight into the weekend for three days off in a row, from Friday to Sunday, May 1–3, without taking any time off. In 2027, Labor Day falls on a Saturday, May 1: the holiday gets lost in the weekend and there is no extra day off, unlike 2026, when the holiday already ran into the weekend.

Why the date exists

The date goes back to May 1, 1886, when thousands of workers took to the streets of Chicago, in the United States, in protests demanding, among other things, shorter working hours. According to Memórias Reveladas, a federal government portal, that was where a strike movement began that would shape social struggles around the world.

What the law says

May 1 is among the dates that Article 1 of Law 662, of April 6, 1949, declared national holidays.

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.

Other holidays

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

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.