Public holidays in Switzerland

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The 26 cantons that make up Switzerland set their public holidays independently – with the exception of 1 August,[1] which is the only federal holiday.[2] Furthermore, holidays can change depending on employers, and some holidays are specific to only a certain town or village. In general, the most reliable list of holidays for a given area will be to look for the list of bank holidays, as nearly all shops and offices close during bank holidays.

Public holidays in cantons

Holiday Variable? Date AG AI AR BL BS BE FR GE GL GR JU LU NE NW OW SG SH SZ SO TG TI UR VS VD ZG ZH Number of cantons 2024 2025 2026 2027
New Year's Day N 1 January * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 26 1 January 2024 1 January 2025 1 January 2026 1 January 2027
Berchtold's Day N 2 January * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 14 2 January 2024 2 January 2025 2 January 2026 2 January 2027
Epiphany N 6 January * * * * * 5 6 January 2024 6 January 2025 6 January 2026 6 January 2027
Republic Day N 1 March * 1 1 March 2024 1 March 2025 1 March 2026 1 March 2027
St Joseph's Day N 19 March * * * * * * * * 8 19 March 2024 19 March 2025 19 March 2026 19 March 2027
Näfels Ride N 3 April * 1 3 April 2024 3 April 2025 3 April 2026 3 April 2027
Good Friday Y Easter Sunday – 2 d * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [3] * [3] * * * 24 2024 2025 2026 2027
Easter Monday Y Easter Sunday + 1 d * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 25 1 April (2024-04-01) 2024 21 April (2025-04-21) 2025 6 April (2026-04-06) 2026 29 March (2027-03-29) 2027
Labour Day N 1 May * * * * * * * * * * * 11 1 May 2024 1 May 2025 1 May 2026 1 May 2027
Ascension Day Y Easter Sunday + 39 d * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 26 9 May (2024-05-09) 2024 29 May (2025-05-29) 2025 14 May (2026-05-14) 2026 6 May (2027-05-06) 2027
Whit Monday Y Easter Sunday + 50 d * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 25 20 May (2024-05-20) 2024 9 June (2025-06-09) 2025 25 May (2026-05-25) 2026 17 May (2027-05-17) 2027
Corpus Christi Y Easter Sunday + 60 d * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 14 30 May (2024-05-30) 2024 19 June (2025-06-19) 2025 4 June (2026-06-04) 2026 27 May (2027-05-27) 2027
Independence Day N 23 June * 1 23 June 2024 23 June 2025 23 June 2026 23 June 2027
Saints Peter and Paul N 29 June [4] [4] * 1 29 June 2024 29 June 2025 29 June 2026 29 June 2027
Swiss National Day N 1 August * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 26 1 August 2024 1 August 2025 1 August 2026 1 August 2027
Assumption N 15 August * * * * * * * * * * * * 12 15 August 2024 15 August 2025 15 August 2026 15 August 2027
Jeûne genevois Y after 1st Sunday in September * 1 2024 2025 2026 2027
Lundi du Jeûne (Monday after previous) Y after 3rd Sunday in September [4] [3] [3] * 1 2024 2025 2026 2027
Saint Nicholas of Flüe Day N 25 September * 1 25 September 2024 25 September 2025 25 September 2026 25 September 2027
All Saints Day N 1 November * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 15 1 November 2024 1 November 2025 1 November 2026 1 November 2027
Immaculate Conception N 8 December * * * * * * * * * * * * * 13 8 December 2024 8 December 2025 8 December 2026 8 December 2027
Christmas Day N 25 December * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 26 25 December 2024 25 December 2025 25 December 2026 25 December 2027
St Stephen's Day N 26 December * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 21 26 December 2024 26 December 2025 26 December 2026 26 December 2027
Restoration Day N 31 December * 1 31 December 2024 31 December 2025 31 December 2026 31 December 2027

Public holidays in specific places, parts of cantons

Holiday Date Holiday in cantons Partial Holiday in cantons
Carnival1 Second Monday before Ash Wednesday SZ
Thursday before Ash Wednesday LU, UR, NW SZ, SG, GR
Monday before Ash Wednesday GL ZH, LU, UR, SZ, ZG, SG, AG
Tuesday before Ash Wednesday SZ, NW, OW LU, UR, BL, SG, AG, TI
Ash Wednesday NW SZ, BL, AR, TI, JU
Friday after Ash Wednesday TI
Monday after Ash Wednesday BS BL (Lower Part Afternoon), ZH
Tuesday after Ash Wednesday FR
Wednesday after Ash Wednesday BS BL (Lower Part Afternoon)
Republic Day 1 March NE (excl.)
Näfels Ride usually the first Thursday in April GL (excl.)
Sechseläuten usually the third Monday in April (half-day) Zürich City, Schlieren (excl.)
Independence Day 23 June JU (excl.)
Peter and Paul 29 June TI LU, GR
Knabenschiessen second Weekend in September
(+ half Monday after)
Zürich City (and Zürich Metro Area) (excl.)
Prayer Monday Monday after Federal Day of Thanksgiving,
Repentance and Prayer
Legally recognized only in VD
(Lundi du Jeûne)
is also celebrated in NE and parts of BE
is a bank holiday in VS.
Mauritius Day 22 September AI (excl.) without Oberegg District
St. Leodegar (Schutzengelfest) 2 October Lucerne City (excl.)
L'Escalade 12 December GE (excl.)
1 The days around Carnival are (with the exception of very few individual municipalities) not public holidays. However, due to widely committed celebrations in the cantons mentioned, there are usually restrictions (for example, businesses might already close at noon or don't open at all).

Notes and references

  1. ^ Swiss National Day
  2. ^ "Familienurlaub Ratgeber". Interhome.ch. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d most stores are closed, despite the day not being a public holiday
  4. ^ a b c some areas

External links