All Saints' Day in Portugal

A national holiday by law

Article 234 of Portugal’s Labour Code includes 1 November among the mandatory holidays. Under Article 236, activities that are not permitted to operate on Sundays must close or suspend work on mandatory holidays; the rule therefore does not mean every workplace follows the same schedule.[1]

The Labour Code allows certain mandatory holidays to move to the following Monday only when specific legislation provides for it. It does not set an automatic Monday substitute for All Saints’ Day.[1] The holiday was explicitly restored to the list of national holidays by a 2016 amendment to the Labour Code.[5]

Christian meaning

In the Catholic calendar, the Solemnity of All Saints honours all the saints, including those who do not have an individual feast day. The observance grew from earlier Christian veneration of martyrs and saints; it was celebrated on different dates before 1 November became established in parts of Western Europe.[3]

Pão-por-Deus and regional customs

One Portuguese tradition associated with the day is Pão-por-Deus. In some places, children go from house to house asking for treats, which residents give them to put in small bags. The São Jorge tourism authority describes this as a local tradition across the island, with children visiting homes in their parishes.[2]

A regional example comes from Madeira, where the island’s Ethnographic Museum described Pão-por-Deus as traditionally accompanied by a magusto, a gathering around a fire with chestnuts. The museum also records older children’s activities making small objects from chestnut and laurel leaves, joined with dried pine needles.[4] These accounts describe particular customs; they do not establish that every community in Portugal marks the day in the same way.

What to expect

Activities that are not permitted to operate on Sundays must close or suspend work on mandatory holidays. Opening hours and service schedules can vary; check with the specific place or operator before making plans.[1]