Is New Year’s Day a Public Holiday in Portugal?
New Year’s Day is a public holiday for the general population according to Portugal Holidays 2019. This means, offices, colleges, schools, universities, and several other academic institutions remain closed on this day.
New Year Traditions in Portugal
Several superstitions observed by Portuguese natives are:
- Portuguese natives eat a total of twelve raisins on the first day of New Year for good luck and wish for happiness and fortune.
- On the first day of January, i.e. New Year’s Day, people take a dive in the sea or ocean.
- It is a very common practice for natives to dance around the trees for prosperity.
- When the clock strikes twelve during midnight, people are seen holding on to some money and wishing for a good fortune while greeting each other “Feliz Ano Novo” in their nativge language, which means Happy New Year. Some of the best places to visit on the first day of New Year in Portugal include Lisbon, Nazare, Funchal, Porto, Albufeira and much more.
New Year’s Day Observances
| Year | Weekday | Date | Name | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Tue | 1 January | New Year’s Day | National Holiday |
| 2020 | Wed | 1 January | New Year’s Day | National Holiday |
| 2021 | Fri | 1 January | New Year’s Day | National Holiday |
| 2022 | Sat | 1 January | New Year’s Day | National Holiday |
| 2023 | Sun | 1 January | New Year’s Day | National Holiday |
| 2024 | Mon | 1 January | New Year’s Day | National Holiday |
| 2025 | Wed | 1 January | New Year’s Day | National Holiday |
New Year Celebrations in Other Countries
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