novermber 15th is a national holiday, with banks and state institutions closed for the day - commercial venues and restaurants operate according to individual schedules, with many being closed.

the republic museum (museu da república) offers great guided tours following the chronology of the republic - also interesting on these dates is the expo at the national historical museum (museu histórico nacional).

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.