Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil

A national holiday with a fixed date

Brazil’s Law No. 6,802 of 1980 declares October 12 a national holiday for public and official worship of Our Lady of Aparecida, identified in the law as the country’s patroness. The law sets the date itself and does not provide for moving the holiday to another day when it falls on a weekend.[1]

It is a public holiday across Brazil. The national holiday law does not list which businesses must close. Under Brazil’s holiday law, work may continue where the nature of the service makes a break impracticable; in those cases the law provides for double pay unless the employer grants another day off.[1][5]

The reported discovery and growing devotion

The National Shrine’s account places the discovery in 1717, when fishermen João Alves, Felipe Pedroso and Domingos Garcia were trying to catch fish for a banquet in Guaratinguetá. Their nets brought up a small image of Our Lady in two parts: first the body, then the head. The shrine’s account says their catch became abundant afterward. This is a devotional tradition, often called the miraculous fishing, rather than a claim established here as a historical miracle.[2]

The fishermen’s family put the reassembled image on a small home altar, and local people began gathering to pray the rosary and sing litanies. As devotion spread, an oratory and then a chapel were built. Pope Pius XI proclaimed Our Lady of Aparecida the principal patroness of Brazil in 1930; the national holiday was established by Brazilian law in 1980.[2][3][1]

Pilgrimage and acts of devotion

The National Shrine in Aparecida is a destination for pilgrims who come to pray and give thanks. One form of devotion is the ex-voto: an object, photograph, letter or testimony offered to express thanks for a grace received or sought. The shrine’s Sala das Promessas, also known as the Hall of Promises, receives these offerings.[4]

The shrine’s history describes early community prayer around the image and the rosary and litanies held in its first chapel. Those roots help explain why the holiday is both a nationwide day of rest and a religious feast with particular importance for Catholic devotees. Visitors planning a shrine visit should check the shrine’s own information for current opening hours and services.[2][4]

What to expect on the day

Because October 12 is a national public holiday, government offices and many workplaces may close or change their hours. The exact arrangements for shops, services and local transport can vary; check with the place or operator before travelling. The shrine itself receives pilgrims and has visitor facilities, but its schedules can change for the feast day.[1][4]