Brazilian Holidays

Brazilian Holidays

I commented to my host father last Thursday that Brazil has many more holidays than the United States. It seems like every month since I have come we've had a day or two off school. This past Friday in Brazil was "Proclamation of Republic Day" and next Tuesday is "African-Brazilian Awareness Day". On these days schools do not function and many other public sector workers have the day off. 

This conversation with my host father Sérgio got us wondering how many, exactly, national holidays Brazil has. Sérgio went to the kitchen and grabbed a small calendar off the fridge. He read off the holidays and I began to count. 

On the following days Brazilians do not work:

1. Jan. 1st "Day of Peace"*

2-4 Feb. 12th this year (always a Tuesday) "Carnaval" -This holiday is marked as only one day, but my host father insists that Carnaval starts on the previous Friday, resulting in a three weekday holiday. The country stops these days, he says. 

5. March 29th  "Passion of Christ"

6. April 21st "Tiradentes Day" 

7. May 1st "Labor Day"

8. May 30 "Corpus Christi"

9. June 13th "Patroness of the City" (holiday in Piracicaba only, not National)

10. July 9th "Constitutional Revolution" **

11. Sept. 7th "Independence Day"

12. Oct. 12 "Our Lady"

13. Nov. 2nd "Day of the Dead"

14. Nov. 15th "Proclamation of Republic"

15. Nov. 20th "African-Brazilian Awareness Day"

16. Dec 8th "Immaculate Conception" **

17. Dec. 25th "Christmas"

*Some of these days can fall on the weekend, but if not they are days off work.

**Holiday specific to São Paulo and only when governor declares it a holiday.

American Holidays

So how many American holidays are there? After two brief counts it looks like Americans, as of the end of this year, will have 10 national holidays. So their is a significant difference! It wasn't my imagination. As for state and city holidays, I am not even sure that exists in the states! Even if it does, we are not topping 17 days off.

My Feriado

This weekend I returned for the first time since New Years 2010, to Ondas Grandes. Ondas Grandes, or Big Waves in a vacation home condominium on the bank of a dammed river about an hour outside of Piracicaba, SP. The location is incredibly beautiful and many of the houses in the condominium are way over the top. There, my host mother's brother owns a chácara, or vacation home. Since my last visit the area has developed quite nicely. 

My emotions got a hold of me while being there. I remembered very clearly my previous time at Ondas Grandes and was struck with the my same emotions from four years earlier. I was a bit lonely:) It seems like in the most beautiful places I always feel the need to share the experience with someone. But, even a bit sad I enjoyed myself. Who can be sad when full of churrasco goodies (grilled meats and cheese, beverages and snacks)?! It felt like the fourth of July! I even got some sun:)