Public holidays · 2026
Christmas Eve falls on Thursday, 24 December 2026 in Portugal in 2026.
An optional holiday: employees may choose to take it, depending on the employer or region.
In 2026 it falls on a Thursday, a working day.
Fixed date: it is on the same day of the year every year (24 Dec).
Saturday and Sunday · A public holiday does not always close every business. Essential services, shops and some industries keep working, and pay rules differ by country and contract.
Christmas Eve is the day and evening before Christmas. In much of Central, Eastern and Northern Europe it is the main event of the season rather than a prelude, with the family dinner, gift exchange and often a church service all taking place on the night of 24 December. Well-known examples include Wigilia in Poland, Štědrý den in the Czech Republic, Štedrý deň in Slovakia and the Christmas Eve celebrations of Finland and the Baltic states. It is often the day when families gather, travel home and prepare the festive table, so it is one of the busiest travel days of the year in countries that observe it.
The religious background lies in the old way of counting a liturgical day from sunset, so that a feast begins on the evening before. In many traditions the evening meal is meatless or follows fasting customs, and details such as watching for the first star, sharing a wafer or setting an extra place at the table for an unexpected guest differ from one region to another. Public holiday status, where it exists, usually applies to the whole day, although some employers and shops allow work only until the afternoon. These details vary by family.
Everywhere in Portugal.
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Questions
An optional holiday: employees may choose to take it, depending on the employer or region.
Thursday, 24 December 2026.