november 19th  is flag day, (dia da bandeira), and it is celebrated by the military with a series of ceremonies and aerial shows. 

brazil's national flag was adopted on november 19, 1889, and it is designed as a green rectangle with proportions of 7:10, with a  yellow diamond inside a blue circle, and crossed by a white label with the words 'order and progress', as well as twenty-seven white stars.

the current flag uses many elements of the previous empire's flag including the green field and the yellow rhombus representing the house of braganza.

a blue circle with 21 white five-pointed stars, signifying each of the states and federal districts, replaced the arms of the empire and are a representation of the stars seen over rio de janeiro at the time of the republic's declaration on the 15th november 1889.