When is Restoration Day?
In 2026, Restoration Day falls on Tuesday, December 1, 2026. It is classified here as a Portuguese public holiday.
History of Restoration Day
Restoration of Independence Day on December 1 commemorates the 1640 uprising that ended sixty years of Iberian Union under the Spanish Habsburg monarchy. Portuguese conspirators seized the royal palace in Lisbon and acclaimed the Duke of Braganza as King João IV. The revolt restored a separate Portuguese monarchy, although military recognition of independence required the prolonged Restoration War before Spain accepted it in 1668.
The republic elevated December 1 to national-holiday status in 1910 as a symbol of national autonomy that could unite republican and monarchist memory. Modern official ceremonies take place at Restauradores Square in Lisbon, where the President, municipal representatives, military organisations and the Historical Society of Portuguese Independence honour the restorers. The date was suspended from the mandatory holiday list during austerity measures and restored in 2016.
Articles 234–236 of Portugal’s Labour Code distinguish mandatory holidays from the optional municipal holiday and Carnival Tuesday. A fixed national holiday remains on its calendar date when it falls at a weekend; Portuguese law does not supply a general substitute Monday. Businesses that are legally permitted or required to operate can schedule work under holiday-work and compensatory-rest rules. Autonomous-region and municipal calendars may add local dates without changing this nationwide status.
How Restoration Day is observed
A mandatory national public holiday on December 1 commemorating the 1640 restoration of a separate Portuguese crown and national sovereignty.
Traditions of Restoration Day
Restauradores ceremony
National and municipal representatives gather at Lisbon’s Monument to the Restorers for speeches, honours and formal historical remembrance.
Wreath laying
Officials and historical organisations place wreaths in memory of the conspirators and soldiers associated with restored Portuguese independence.
Historical programmes
Museums, municipalities and civic groups present lectures, exhibitions or reenactments explaining the Iberian Union and the Restoration War.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Portugal public-administration holiday guidance. Municipal holidays, autonomous-region decisions and private-employer schedules may differ.
History sources: Portugal DGAEP: mandatory and optional public holidays, Diário da República: Portuguese Labour Code, Articles 234–236, Presidency archive: Restoration of Independence commemorations, United Nations: Member States.
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