Is April 21 a holiday or an optional point? It is possible to answer this question knowing what this date represents in the history of our country. On April 21, Tiradentes Day is celebrated throughout Brazil. The date refers to the day of the death of the soldier who played an important role in the Inconfidência Mineira. It is considered a national holiday, so on April 21, it is mandatory to leave services for the whole day.
Read too: Is Flag Day a public holiday?
Topics of this article
- April 1 - 21 (Tiradentes Day): national holiday or optional point?
- 2 - What is the difference between a holiday and an optional point?
- 3 - How to know if a date is a holiday or an optional point in Brazil?
- 4 - List of holidays and optional points for 2023
April 21 (Tiradentes Day): national holiday or optional point?
Since 1965, on April 21, Tiradentes Day has been celebrated. The date was declared a national holiday in honor of Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes. Tiradentes actively participated in one of the main movements against the power of the Portuguese Crown in Colonial Brazil: the Inconfidência Mineira.
The movement was articulated in the years 1788 and 1789. Tiradentes, like all the inconfidentes, was captured and imprisoned. The other leaders of the movement were expelled from the country, but Tiradentes was captured and killed on April 21, 1972. His body was quartered, and his head was exposed in the central square of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.
The image of Tiradentes as a national hero was built only after the Proclamation of the Republic. That's because republicans wanted to exalt republican figures in Brazil in opposition to the monarchy. Tiradentes was chosen due to the cruel character of his conviction and death, in addition to his role against the Crown. From then on, Tiradentes began to be exalted as a martyr of the republican movement. To find out more about Tiradentes Day, click here.
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What is the difference between a holiday and an optional point?
The optional point is a date on which the dismissal may or may not happen, leaving the choice up to the organization. Generally, the optional point is usually close to national holidays. The dates are defined and announced in advance in a federal decree published in the Official Gazette.
Therefore, the optional point is, as the name says, optional, mainly for the private sector. A classic example of an optional point is Carnival, which, despite being culturally called a holiday, is an optional point.
Unlike the optional point, on holidays, the waiver of services is not optional, but mandatory. In addition to Tiradentes Day, another example of a holiday is Labor Day (May 1st).
See too: What are the countries with the most public holidays in the world?
How to know if a date is a holiday or an optional point in Brazil?
Annually, the Federal Government announces, in an official decree, the list of optional points and holidays. Consulting the list is the best way to find out about national holidays.
List of holidays and optional points for 2023
January 1, Universal Fellowship — national holiday
February 20th, Carnival — optional point
February 21, Carnival — optional point
February 22, Ash Wednesday — optional stop until 2 pm
April 7, Passion of the Christ — national holiday
April 21, Tiradentes — national holiday
May 1st, World Labor Day — national holiday
June 8, Corpus Christi — optional point
September 7, Independence of Brazil — national holiday
October 12, Nossa Senhora Aparecida — national holiday
October 28, Public Servant Day — optional point
November 2, All Souls — national holiday
November 15, Proclamation of the Republic — national holiday
December 25th, Christmas — national holiday
By Miguel Souza
Journalist
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Miguel. "Is April 21 (Tiradentes Day) a holiday or an optional point?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/21-de-abril-e-feriado-ou-ponto-facultativo.htm. Accessed on April 6, 2023.
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