Flags on holidays in Brazil: national, state and municipal

Holidays are the days on which the flag is seen most in Brazil outside public buildings. For public offices, schools and trade unions, Law 5,700 of 1 September 1971 makes raising the flag compulsory on days of national celebration (article 14). The holidays themselves are set by other laws: federal for the national ones, state for the states’ main days and municipal for religious holidays. This guide brings these rules together.

The national holidays

Law 662 of 6 April 1949, as worded by Law 10,607 of 2002, declares seven dates national holidays. Two other laws added two more:

Law 6,802 of 30 June 1980 declares 12 October a national holiday, for public and official worship of Our Lady of Aparecida. Law 14,759 of 21 December 2023 declares 20 November a national holiday, to celebrate the National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness. Under article 2 of Law 662, only absolutely essential private and administrative activities are allowed on national holidays.

The guide to flag days shows these dates in 2026 and 2027, with the weekday, together with Flag Day, 19 November, which is not a holiday.

Civil and religious holidays

Law 9,093 of 12 September 1995 distinguishes two kinds of holiday:

• civil holidays: those declared by federal law; the state’s main day set by state law; and the first and last days of the centenary year of a municipality’s foundation, set by municipal law;
• religious holidays: the days of observance declared by municipal law, according to local tradition, up to four in number, Good Friday included.

The states’ main days

Each state may set its main day by law. In São Paulo, state Law 9,497 of 5 March 1997 made 9 July, the state’s main day, a civil holiday, on the basis of Law 9,093. When the state flag flies next to the national flag, the national flag takes the place of honour under article 19 of Law 5,700, in the centre or in the position nearest the centre and to its right. The guide to flag protocol covers the order of flags.

Pontos facultativos

Optional days off (pontos facultativos) are not holidays. Under article 3 of Law 662, the pontos facultativos decreed by the states, the Federal District or the municipalities do not suspend normal school hours or affect the work of the courts, notaries and registry offices. Law 5,700 does not link compulsory flag raising to these days.

The flag at home and in shops

On holidays, the law does not require private persons or businesses to fly the flag, but it allows its use in private expressions (article 10), on poles, in windows, on balconies, on vehicles or on façades (article 11). The limits are in article 31: among other things, the flag is not displayed in poor condition, with added inscriptions or used as clothing or a table cover. The colours green and yellow, for their part, may be used without restriction (article 29). More information in the guide to the flag rules.

A holiday during mourning

If a national holiday falls during a period of official mourning, the flag is raised to the top that day: under article 18 of Law 5,700, the flag in mourning applies only when the situation does not coincide with days of national celebration. The guide on half-mast explains the procedure.