While the government has refused to give a national holiday for Carnival – for the second year running – borough councils up and down the country are doing just that.
Lisbon and Loulé Câmaras, for example, are actually giving not just one but two days off to employees, creating one of those famous Portuguese “pontes” (bridges) that result in a long weekend and often favour the tourism industry in regions such as the Algarve.
Other than Lisbon, other municipalities giving days off – in this case simply Tuesday, March 4 – include Porto, Gaia, Évora, Beja, Portalegre and Torres Vedras.
Lisbon and Loulé are giving their workers the Monday off as well, meaning they can all clock off on Friday February 28 and not return to work until Wednesday March 5.
