Since antiquity, man is used to setting aside certain dates to celebrate important events. Be it religious celebrations or in memory of some notable deceased, holidays have always been loaded with meanings for a community, in addition to causing a moment of disruption in the routine and leisure.
In some cases, these important dates are marked by parties and celebrations with particular characteristics. Songs, enactments and proper symbols are part of the commemorative rituals, attributing peculiar aspects to holidays in different parts of the world.
Learn more about the origin of holidays
Another fact that is notable about holidays is the leisure time they provide. How people use this time varies according to the region in which they live. In addition to popular festivals, many take advantage of the time to rest, travel and do other leisure activities.
Countries with more holidays
According to a survey carried out by the American consulting company Mercer, the countries with the most holidays are Colombia and India, with 18 holidays each. In second place on the list are Thailand, Lebanon and South Korea, which have 16 extra days off each.
is considered a national holiday in India ¹
Some European countries are also among those with the most days off, such as Finland and Spain, with 15 and 14 holidays, respectively. Among Asians, in addition to those already mentioned, Japan is in third place with 15 national celebrations.
See the top five positions in Mercer's ranking:
| Position | countries | Holidays |
| 1 | Colombia |
18 |
| 2 | Thailand Lebanon South Korea |
16 |
| 3 | Argentina Chile Finland Japan |
15 |
| 4 | Turkey | 14,5* |
| 5 | Indonesia |
14 |
*In Turkey, the Republic Day holiday starts at 1:00 pm, creating a half-day break.
holidays in Brazil
Despite much talk about the large number of holidays in Brazil, the country only appears in seventh position, alongside South Africa, Peru and Greece. In all, there are 12 national holidays.
Several Latin American countries are ahead of Brazil in the ranking, such as Colombia, which tops the list alongside India, with 18 holidays. In addition, Argentina and Chile each have 15 national holidays on the calendar.
See the national holidays in Brazil:
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Universal get-together: January 1st
Carnival: mobile date
Ashes (until 2 pm): mobile date
Passion of Christ: mobile date
Tiradentes: April 21st
World Labor Day: May 1st
Corpus Christi: mobile data
Independence of Brazil: September 7th
Our Lady Aparecida: October 12th
Dead: November 2nd
Proclamation of the Republic: November 15
Christmas: December 25th
Countries with fewer holidays
At the bottom of the list is Mexico, with only seven holidays. Hungary, the UK and the Netherlands are also among those with the fewest days off, with eight holidays each.
painting himself with a skull ²
The survey was based on information from 64 countries and does not take into account state or municipal holidays. Thus, some places in Brazil have more than twelve days of holiday, with dates such as emancipation, creation of the state or local patron.
Curiosities
In Brazil it is not common to transfer holidays to working days when they fall on the weekend. In countries such as Taiwan, Japan and Chile, holidays that fall on a Saturday or Sunday carry over to the next business day or the nearest Friday.
In the United States, which have ten days of holidays, four of them do not have a fixed day and fall exclusively on weekdays. Thanksgiving, for example, which is quite celebrated there, is on the 4th Thursday of November.
There are some dates, such as Republic Day in Turkey, when the holiday starts at 1 pm. In Brazil, something similar happens on Ash Wednesday, which is considered a holiday until noon.
Economy
According to the Mercer survey, the number of holidays reveals how productive a country can be. The fewer holidays, the more productive the local labor market is, which can attract more foreign investors.
In Portugal, which occupies the 9th position in the ranking, for example, the government reduced from 14 to 10 the number of days off on national holidays with the intention of increasing productivity. The days of Corpus Christi, the Republic, All Saints and Independence are no longer holidays.
¹Image Credit: Shutterstock / AJP
²Image Credit: Shutterstock / Anton_Ivanov
by Rafael Batista
Brazil School Team
Curiosities
Holiday, calendar days, dedicated to honors, religious holidays, deities, Venus, Dionysus, the first civil holiday, the date that marks the beginning of the French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, the proletarian movement, the Day of Worker.
