January will have two public holidays in 2026 in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro; find out which ones | Legislation

At the national level, January has only one public holiday which falls on Thursday January 1, 2026. This is the Universal Fraternization Daywhich marks the beginning of the year and grants rest to all workers within the framework of the consolidation of labor laws (CLT).

In the context of capitals, the month includes, in São Paulo, January 25, a Sunday which is a municipal holiday in honor of the founding of the city, in 1554. In Rio de Janeiro, January 20, a Tuesday, celebrates São Sebastião, patron saint of the capital of Rio de Janeiro.

So, the calendar of public holidays in January is:

• January 1: holidays all over Brazil
• January 20: vacation in the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
• January 25: vacation in the city of São Paulo (SP)

Modification of the January 1 public holiday

The January 1 public holiday falls on this day THURSDAY and, therefore, there is the possibility of modifying the date with the Fridayday 2, allowing extended rest until Sunday, day 4.

Labor lawyer Ivo Ary Meier Junior, of Ciscato Advogados Associados, explains that granting the amendment of 2 is a choice optional of employer.

“Even if the public holiday falls on this first week of the year, legally the employer has no obligation to grant the modification of the public holiday on January 2. It is a decision which falls within its sole discretion to grant this day of leave to the employee,” explains Meier Junior.

The lawyer also specifies that, during the January holidays, all workers have the right to rest, except in two situations. The first occurs when it comes to essential servicessuch as doctors, police officers and firefighters, categories accustomed to working on public holidays due to the indispensable nature of their functions.

There is also the possibility provided for in a collective agreement, in which employee unions and employers can define that a certain professional activity is necessary during vacation. In these cases, employees may be called to work.

In both cases, the employer must grant the worker future leave or pay double the working day, as determined by the CLT.