Public holidays Portugal – bank holidays in Portugal in 2019 and 2020
The calendar of public holidays in Portugal consists of 13 important dates.
All national and religious holidays in Portugal are celebrated on the day they fall on, not being moved to the nearest weekday in case the fall on weekends.
Public holidays Portugal (bank holidays) in 2019 and 2020:
| 2019 | Holiday / Portuguese name | 2020 |
| 1 January (Tuesday) | New Year’s Day / Ano Novo | 1 January (Wednesday) |
| 19 April (Friday) | Good Friday / Sexta-Feira Santa | 10 April (Friday) |
| 21 April (Sunday) | Easter / Páscoa | 12 April (Sunday) |
| 25 April (Thursday) | Freedom Day / Dia da Liberdade | 25 April (Saturday) |
| 1 May ( Wednesday) | Labour Day / Dia do Trabalhador | 1 May (Friday) |
| 10 June (Monday) | National Day / Dia de Portugal | 10 June (Wednesday) |
| 20 June (Thursday) | Corpus Christi / Corpo de Deus | 11 June (Thursday) |
| 15 August (Thursday) | Assumption / Assunção da Nossa Senhora | 15 August (Saturday) |
| 5 October (Saturday) | Republic Day / Implantação da República | 5 October (Monday) |
| 1 November (Friday) | All Saints’ Day / Todos os Santos | 1 November (Sunday) |
| 1 December (Sunday) | Restoration of Independence / Restauração da Independência | 1 December (Tuesday) |
| 8 December (Sunday) | Immaculate Conception / Imaculada Conceição | 8 December (Tuesday) |
| 25 December (Wednesday) | Christmas Day / Natal | 25 December (Friday) |
‘Popular Saints’ – local holidays in Lisbon and Porto
Please not that many cities and towns in Portugal holds local celebrations of the so called santos populares, meaning ‘popular saints’, dedicated to their patrons.
The most important ones are, naturally, those in the two biggest Portuguese cities.
St. Anthony’s is Lisbon’s patron saint, which makes his day, the 13th of June, a local holiday for the inhabitants of Portugal’s capital. A day off is well needed, since on the eve of the patron’s day, the hole city indulges into joyful celebrations.
The festivities are held all across Lisbon’s old quarters and consist of street dances, live music and the mandatory grilled sardines. St. Anthony’s feast in Lisbon is loud, colorful and lasts till dawn.
Lisbon decorated for santos populares.
In a fashion resembling the Brazilian carnival, dance schools parade along Lisbon’s street. Since St. Anthony is also a patron of marriage, many couples choose to wed on June 12th, joining the celebrations in the parade of the newly-weds.
Also in June another important festivities take place in Portugal. On the night of 23, Porto, the largest city of the Portuguese northern region celebrates St. John, the city’s patron saint. Carnival-like atmosphere, street dances, live music fill in the streets of Porto. Do not be surprise to see people hitting themselves on the heads with plastic hammers….
The festivities culminate in the fireworks display of the River Douro. The next day, 24 of June, is a public holiday in Porto.
Similarly, other cities may have their local festivities (on a much smaller scale) and a subsequent day off.
Regional holiday in Madeira and the Azores
The Portuguese archipelagos, apart from the common public holidays included in the table above celebrate also local holidays. On Madeira and the neighbouring Porto Santo island , 1 of July is a work free-day.
The regional public holiday in the Azores is movable. It follows the Feast of the Holy Spirit held on the Pentecost Sunday. In 2019, it falls on June 10th; in 2020, on June 1st.
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