Marcelo OliveiraShort answer: New Year’s Day 2027 falls on a Friday, January 1, a national holiday. New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2026, is a Thursday and is not a holiday. For anyone off on Saturdays and Sundays, the long weekend stretches three days, from Friday through Sunday (January 3). If you’re ringing in the new year in Rio de Janeiro, you can book a hotel in Rio with free cancellation for Dec 30 to Jan 2 and check the total before deciding.
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To choose where to spend New Year’s Eve, check out the 2027 New Year’s Eve guide with 40 destinations in Brazil.
What day is New Year’s 2027?
January 1, 2027 is a Friday. The big night happens on Thursday, December 31, 2026. If you rest on Saturdays and Sundays, you’re off from Friday through Sunday.
Thursday, Dec 31, doesn’t automatically become a day off: work hours, optional holidays and bridge days depend on your employer, the public agency or local rules. Information updated on 10/06/2026.
New Year’s calendar: December 2026 and January 2027
| Date | Day | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 12/24/2026 | Thursday | Christmas Eve; not a national holiday |
| 12/25/2026 | Friday | Christmas, national holiday; makes a three-day weekend |
| 12/31/2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Eve; not a national holiday |
| 01/01/2027 | Friday | Universal Fraternization Day, national holiday |
| 01/03/2027 | Sunday | Last day of the long weekend for those off on weekends |
Since Christmas 2026 also falls on a Friday, there are two three-day weekends in a row, separated by four working days (December 28 to 31).
Is December 31 an optional holiday?
As of 10/06/2026, the federal government had not yet published the decree listing 2027’s optional holidays; the 2026 one came out on 12/29/2025 (MGI Decree No. 11,460). So there is no official optional holiday for Dec 31, 2026 in the federal calendar.
For federal employees, a different rule applies: Decree SRT/MGI No. 6,342 of 08/04/2026 provides for a recess from December 21 to 25 and from December 28 to January 1. Participation is voluntary, and the hours must be made up by 05/31/2027. It does not apply to workers in general.
Official sources (data as of 10/06/2026): MGI, 2026/27 recess, published on 08/07/2026; MGI Decree 11,460/2025.
2027 holidays and long weekends
National holidays are set by Law 662/1949, as amended by Law 10,607/2002: January 1, April 21, May 1, September 7, November 2, November 15 and December 25. Other laws add October 12 and November 20.
In 2027, three national holidays fall on a Saturday (May 1, November 20 and December 25). Without bridge days, the three-day weekends are January 1, Good Friday (March 26) and November 15 (Monday).
| Date | Day | Holiday | Weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Friday | Universal Fraternization Day (national) | Friday to Sunday |
| Feb 8–10 | Mon. to Wed. | Carnival and Ash Wednesday; optional holiday depends on decree and city | Saturday to Wednesday, where time off is granted |
| Mar 26 | Friday | Good Friday (religious holiday, Law 9,093/1995) | Friday to Sunday |
| Apr 21 | Wednesday | Tiradentes (national) | Midweek |
| May 1 | Saturday | Labor Day (national) | Falls on Saturday |
| May 27 | Thursday | Corpus Christi; optional holiday or local holiday | Friday can become a bridge day, where permitted |
| Sep 7 | Tuesday | Independence Day (national) | Monday can become a bridge day |
| Oct 12 | Tuesday | Our Lady of Aparecida (national) | Monday can become a bridge day |
| Nov 2 | Tuesday | All Souls’ Day (national) | Monday can become a bridge day |
| Nov 15 | Monday | Republic Proclamation Day (national) | Saturday to Monday |
| Nov 20 | Saturday | Black Consciousness Day (national) | Falls on Saturday |
| Dec 25 | Saturday | Christmas (national) | Falls on Saturday |
The next New Year’s Day, January 1, 2028, will fall on a Saturday. Bridge days are calendar possibilities, not guaranteed time off: states, municipalities and companies may have their own rules.
Official sources: Law 6,802/1980 (October 12); Law 14,759/2023 (November 20); Law 9,093/1995 (religious and municipal holidays). Days of the week checked against the Gregorian calendar.
New Year’s 2026 or 2027: which is which?
“New Year’s 2027” names the celebration from December 31, 2026 into January 1, 2027: it’s the countdown that welcomes the year 2027. “New Year’s 2026” refers to the night of Dec 31, 2025 into Jan 1, 2026. When buying a ticket, confirm the date written on the event.
Where to spend a Friday New Year’s Eve
With the holiday on Friday, anyone going from Thursday (Dec 31) to Sunday (Jan 3) gets both the countdown and New Year’s Day without missing work. The most-searched guides:
- New Year’s Eve in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: the 2025/26 edition had 13 stages across the city and 12 minutes of fireworks in Copacabana.
- New Year’s Eve in Salvador: the Virada Festival at Boca do Rio and fireworks at 22 spots in the 2025/26 edition.
- New Year’s Eve in Recife: main stage at Praia do Pina in 2025/26.
- New Year’s Eve in Fortaleza: free party at the Aterro da Praia de Iracema in 2025/26.
To compare more options, check out New Year’s 2027 in the Northeast and the cheap places to spend New Year’s 2027. Schedules for 2027 still depend on official announcements in several cities.
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Frequently asked questions
Is January 1, 2027 a holiday?
Yes. Universal Fraternization Day is a national holiday (Law 662/1949, as amended by Law 10,607/2002) and falls on a Friday.
Is December 31, 2026 a holiday?
It is not a national holiday. New Year’s Eve falls on a Thursday, and reduced hours, optional holidays or recess depend on the rules of the agency or employer.
Has the government already set the 2027 optional holidays?
Not as of 10/06/2026. The 2026 federal decree was published on 12/29/2025; the 2027 one had not yet come out.
How many days does the New Year’s long weekend last?
For those off on Saturdays and Sundays, it’s three days: from Friday, January 1, to Sunday, January 3. Thursday, Dec 31, doesn’t automatically count as time off.
Do federal employees get a recess at the end of 2026?
Yes, on a voluntary basis: from December 21 to 25 and from December 28 to January 1, with hours made up by 05/31/2027, according to Decree SRT/MGI No. 6,342/2026.
Pick your destination in the complete New Year’s Eve guide.