The Socialist Party manifesto pledge, that Portugal’s workers again shall enjoy the full suite of public holidays, is to be carried out.
Portugal lost four holidays under the Pedro Passos Coelho coalition government which, citing ‘austerity,’ removed two religious and two secular days off to increase Portugal’s output.
The measure was not welcomed and served further to depress workers amid a raft of 'austerity' tax rises.
Thos year the nation again will celebrate All Saints Day on November 1st and Corpus Christi held 60 days after Easter Sunday.
The civil holidays that are back on the agenda are Dia da Republica on October 5th and Restoration of Independence Day on December 1st.
Portugal’s 13 days off may seem generous when compared to the UK’s parsimonious six bank holidays and Germany's nine but topping the Euro table are Slovakia, Sweden with 15 holidays and Cyprus with 17.
Then there is Bulgaria, Latvia and Malta with 14 each. Portugal now has the same number as Austria, Croatia and Greece.
| Date | English name | Portuguese name | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| moveable | Corpus Christi (feast) | Corpo de Deus | Thursday, date varies. 60 days after Easter Sunday. It is religion based. | ||
| 5 October | Republic Day | Implantação da República | Celebrates the end of Monarchy and the beginning of the Portuguese Republic | ||
| 1 November | All Saints Day | Dia de Todos-os-Santos | In terms of Western Christian theology, the feast commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in heaven. | ||
| 1 December | Restoration of Independence | Restauração da Independência | Celebrates the end of the Philippine Dynasty (1580–1640) |
Comments
Far more 'dangerous' is not the holiday itself but where it falls in the calendar. Far too common in the Portuguese Public Sector is so many taking the bridging day off. So a Tuesday or Thursday public holiday bridges with the previous or next day (Friday and Monday for those struggling with seixta and segunda) and gets everyone a long weekend.
No Portuguese yet noticing any link whatsoever between the hundreds of millions of euros worth of unnecessarily lost (to the bridging day) public sector working hours that are being paid for by their private sector taxes.