Saint John’s Day, celebrated annually on June 24, is not recognized as a national holiday or as an optional holiday by the federal government. However, the date ensures time off for thousands of workers in different regions of Brazil, especially in the Northeast, where June festivities have a strong and traditional cultural and economic relevance, boosting tourism and local commerce in cities with big celebrations.
This situation occurs because states and municipalities have the autonomy to establish local holidays through their own legislation. This year, Saint John’s Day will be considered a holiday in at least five Brazilian capitals:
- Aracaju (SE)
- João Pessoa (PB)
- Maceió (AL)
- Recife (PE)
- Salvador (BA)
In João Pessoa, the rest period will be even longer. In addition to the São João holiday, the city hall decreed an optional day off for the 22nd and 23rd of June for municipal employees, expanding the celebrations in the capital of Paraíba.
The festivities will also be a holiday in municipalities known for traditional June festivals, such as Caruaru (PE) and Campina Grande (PB), and also in Niterói (RJ) and Barueri (SP), where São João is the local patron saint.
In Pernambuco and Alagoas, the benefit of the day off extends even further, as June 24th is considered a state holiday, covering workers from numerous cities, not just the capitals.
In locations where São João is officially a public holiday, employees must be released from work. If called upon to work, they are entitled to receive double pay for the hours worked or compensatory time off, as established by current labor legislation.
To clarify other doubts about workers’ rights on commemorative dates, we present the following information:
Understand the concept of optional point
On optional days, public employees are released from service without any loss to their remuneration. This measure is generally enacted on business days that precede or follow holidays.
In the private sector, unlike mandatory holidays, employers are not obliged to grant employees time off, nor to pay double wages or offer compensation for hours.
Compulsory work on holidays and optional periods
Labor legislation prohibits carrying out professional activities during civil and religious holidays. However, there are some specific exceptions to this rule.
The law allows work in certain segments classified as essential. This includes sectors such as industries, commerce, transport, funeral services and activities related to security, among others.
Furthermore, the employer may request that the employee work during the holiday if there is a collective labor agreement, which is an agreement previously established between employers and trade unions.
In the case of the optional position, the right to time off is generally restricted to public employees and does not automatically apply to the private sector.
Consequences of missing work on specific days
Absence from work, following an order from the employer to attend, can be interpreted as insubordination, characterized by disobedience to a superior order.
“However, dismissal for just cause, as a rule, is not the result of a single incident, but of a pattern of faulty behavior that is repeated”, explains Ana Gabriela Burlamaqui, labor lawyer.
Therefore, dismissal for cause generally follows a process that involves the accumulation of written warnings and attempts to correct the employee’s behavior.
Holiday rules and optional period for fixed and temporary contracts
The basic guidelines on working on public holidays apply to both fixed-term and temporary employees, including the right to double pay or compensatory time off.
However, temporary employment contracts may present specific preconditions or clauses that must be observed individually.
Upcoming national holidays in the 2026 calendar
In total, there are still six national holidays remaining in 2026, five of which offer the possibility of being amended, providing extended days of rest.
The next national holiday, however, is scheduled for three months from now: September 7th, Brazil’s Independence Day, which this year will fall on a Monday, potentially resulting in an extended day off for those who do not work on weekends.