Four countries share one holiday Monday this year. For a foreign resident, the useful question is what you need before Saturday, and what can wait until Tuesday.
Key Facts
- The date Monday 12 October 2026 is a national holiday in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Colombia also has a holiday that day. Each country gets a three-day weekend, Saturday 10 to Monday 12 October.
- Brazil Our Lady of Aparecida, the country’s patron saint, is a national holiday under Law 6.802 of 1980. Bank branches close and the B3 stock exchange does not trade. Banking apps keep working.
- Argentina and Chile Argentina and Chile also hold a national holiday on 12 October, and Chile calls it the Encounter of Two Worlds. Neither date moves in 2026, because it already falls on a Monday.
- Money At the Banco Central do Brasil’s PTAX rate of 5.0119 reais per dollar (Thursday 8 October), R$500 is about US$100. In Argentina, ARS 50,000 is about US$32 at the official sell rate of 1,540 pesos.
- Back to normal Brazilian branches and the B3 return on Tuesday 13 October.
Which Countries Stop on Monday
The Monday holiday comes from three different national laws. All of them mark 12 October, and in 2026 that date falls on a Monday, so no country has to move it.
Brazil celebrates Our Lady of Aparecida, the patron saint of the country. The holiday has been national since Law 6.802 of 1980. The same date is also Children’s Day in Brazil, so families travel and shopping centres are busy.
Argentina also marks the date as a national holiday. Law 27.399 treats it as a movable holiday. When the date falls between Tuesday and Friday, the law moves it to the nearest Monday. In 2026 that is not needed.
Chile calls it the Encounter of Two Worlds. Chilean media list Monday 12 October as a national holiday and the next long weekend after the September Independence holidays.
Colombia also stops on Monday. Our separate explainer on Colombia’s holiday weekends covers the closing rules there, including Bogotá’s traffic restriction on the return trip.
What Closes in Brazil
Brazil has the clearest rules. According to the national banking calendar published by Febraban, the bank federation, branches do not open on Monday. Digital services of the banks stay available for queries and online transactions.
The B3, Brazil’s stock exchange in São Paulo, is closed on the holiday under its own calendar. Trading resumes on Tuesday 13 October. Anything you plan to sell or buy through a Brazilian broker waits until then.
Supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants and most malls usually keep trading on holidays, but hours differ by city and by shop. Check local opening hours before you plan a long errand.
Argentina and Chile
In Argentina, public offices follow the national holiday calendar. For banks, shops and transport, the safest approach is to ask your own bank and your carrier, because we could not confirm each institution’s schedule. Long weekends in Argentina often fill buses, flights and hotels, so book early if you plan to travel.
In Chile, Monday 12 October is a holiday, but it is not an “irrenunciable” one. That legal term covers days on which commerce employees must be given the day off. Because 12 October is not in that group, shops and malls may open normally, and each business decides. Do not assume that a store will be shut.
Money and Cash Planning
Plan cash and rent payments for Friday. At the PTAX rate of 5.0119 reais per dollar on Thursday 8 October, R$1,000 is about US$200. The PTAX is the Banco Central do Brasil’s daily reference rate. It was 4.9935 on Wednesday and 5.2238 on Friday 2 October, so the real is stronger than a week ago.
In Argentina, DolarApi shows the official Banco Nación rate at 1,490 pesos to buy and 1,540 to sell on Thursday afternoon. At 1,540, ARS 1,000,000 is about US$649. In Chile, the observado dollar is 981.61 pesos for Friday 9 October, so CLP 50,000 is about US$51.
Exchange rates move between now and Tuesday. Bank apps and cards keep working, but a rate you see on Friday is not the rate you get after the long weekend.
What This Means for Foreign Residents
Tenants and landlords. Pay rent and utility bills before Saturday if you rely on a branch or a cashier. Bank transfers made on a holiday may only settle on the next business day.
Travellers. The long weekend moves many residents onto roads and flights at the same time. Fares and hotel prices in coastal and mountain towns tend to rise, so compare options early.
Remote workers. Clients and colleagues in Brazil, Argentina and Chile may be offline on Monday. If you invoice in a local currency, expect payments to arrive on Tuesday or later.
Investors. Brazil’s market is closed on Monday, so Brazilian stocks do not trade again until Tuesday 13 October.
What Is Not Known
We have not confirmed the opening hours of every bank, shop and transport operator in Argentina and Chile. Local rules also differ by city. We do not know how busy roads and airports will be.
The holiday calendar looks calm, not alarming. Monday’s closures last one day, and normal service returns on Tuesday. The pace of the year still changes, since Brazil has its next national holiday, All Souls’ Day, on Monday 2 November.
Sources
- Lei 6.802 of 1980 (Brazil), Febraban banking calendar and B3 trading calendar, as summarised by InfoMoney, Suno and O Povo.
- Ley 27.399 (Argentina), as summarised by Perfil, El Economista and Noticias NQN.
- Chilean holiday calendar, as summarised by Meteored Chile and Calendario Chile.
- Banco Central do Brasil (PTAX, Olinda API, 8 October 2026); DolarApi (Argentina, 8 October 2026); Banco Central de Chile via mindicador.cl (observado, 9 October 2026).
More on the region: Brazil hub. Related coverage: today’s LatAm Expat & Nomad Daily Guide, Colombia Holiday Weekends: 12 October, 2 and 16 November and Brazil September Inflation Due Friday Near 4.5% Ceiling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 12 October holiday in Brazil?
Monday 12 October 2026 is the feast of Our Lady of Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil, a national holiday under Law 6.802 of 1980. Bank branches and the B3 stock exchange are closed, and banking apps keep working.
Is Monday 12 October a holiday in Argentina and Chile?
Yes. Argentina holds a national holiday and Chile marks the Encounter of Two Worlds. In both countries the date already falls on a Monday in 2026, so nothing moves and the weekend runs from Saturday 10 to Monday 12 October.
When does Brazil’s stock exchange reopen?
On Tuesday 13 October 2026. The B3 is closed on Monday 12 October under its own calendar, and branch banking resumes on Tuesday as well.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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