BOM FERIADO! / HAPPY HOLIDAY!

National holidays in Portugal

Date

Name

Remarks

January 1 Ano Novo(New Year’s day) Beginning of the year, marking the traditional end of “holiday season”.
Tuesday,date varies CarnavalCarnival) Not an official holiday, but usually declared by the government as a non-working day. It gained Christian connotations and now marks the first day of a 40-day period before Easter Week (Semana Santa, Holy Week), thus also known as Entrudo.
Friday,date varies Sexta-feira Santa (Good Friday) A Christian religious holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary.
Sunday,date varies Páscoa(Easter) Easter. Used for family gathering to eat Pão-de-Ló and Folar (an Easter cake), as well as Easter eggs. In the Northern part of the country, a sort of church members processions (compasso) visits and blesses every home with an open door, thus meaning they are Catholics.
April 25 Dia da Liberdade (Freedom day) Celebrates the Carnation Revolution, marking the end of the dictatorial regime. Event of 1974.
May 1 Dia do Trabalhador (Workers’ day) International Workers’ Day.
June 10 Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas (Day of Portugal, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities) Portugal Day. Marks the date of Camões’ death. Camões wrote Os Lusiadas (The Lusiads) Portugal’s national epic. Event of 1580. Celebrated in many of Portuguese communities abroad.
August 15 Dia da Assunção (Assumption day) Assumption of Mary.
December 8 Dia da Imaculada Conceição (Immaculate Conception day) Immaculate Conception. Patron Saint of Portugal since 1646.
December 25 Natal(Christmas day) Christmas Day. Celebrated from the 24th to the 25th as a family gathering, where people eat codfish with potatoes and cabbage, roasted turkey, seasonal sweets and dry fruits, drink Port wine and share gifts.