Public holidays in Switzerland

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 found in a list of bank shops and offices close during bank holidays.

Public holidays in each canton

Holiday
Variable?
DateAargau
AG
Appenzell Innerrhoden
AI
Appenzell Ausserrhoden
AR
Basel-Landschaft
BL
Basel-Stadt
BS
Canton of Bern
BE
Canton of Fribourg
FR
Canton of Geneva
GE
Canton of Glarus
GL
Grisons
GR
Canton of Jura
JU
Canton of Lucerne
LU
Canton of Neuchâtel
NE
Nidwalden
NW
Obwalden
OW
Canton of St. Gallen
SG
Canton of Schaffhausen
SH
Canton of Schwyz
SZ
Canton of Solothurn
SO
Thurgau
TG
Ticino
TI
Canton of Uri
UR
Valais
VS
Vaud
VD
Canton of Zug
ZG
Canton of Zürich
ZH
Number of
cantons
2023202420252026
New Year's Day N 1 January checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 26 1 January 2023 1 January 2024 1 January 2025 1 January 2026
Berchtold's Day N 2 January checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 14 2 January 2023 2 January 2024 2 January 2025 2 January 2026
Epiphany N 6 January checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 5 6 January 2023 6 January 2024 6 January 2025 6 January 2026
Republic Day N 1 March checkY 1 1 March 2023 1 March 2024 1 March 2025 1 March 2026
St Joseph's Day N 19 March checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 8 19 March 2023 19 March 2024 19 March 2025 19 March 2026
Näfels Ride N First Thursday in April checkY 1 First Thursday in April 2023 First Thursday in April 2024 First Thursday in April 2025 First Thursday in April 2026
Good Friday Y Easter Sunday – 2 d checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY [3] checkY [3] checkY checkY checkY 24 2023 2024 2025 2026
Easter Monday Y Easter Sunday + 1 d checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 25 10 April (2023-04-10) 2023 1 April (2024-04-01) 2024 21 April (2025-04-21) 2025 6 April (2026-04-06) 2026
Labour Day N 1 May checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 11 1 May 2023 1 May 2024 1 May 2025 1 May 2026
Ascension Day Y Easter Sunday + 39 d checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 26 18 May (2023-05-18) 2023 9 May (2024-05-09) 2024 29 May (2025-05-29) 2025 14 May (2026-05-14) 2026
Whit Monday Y Easter Sunday + 50 d checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 25 29 May (2023-05-29) 2023 20 May (2024-05-20) 2024 9 June (2025-06-09) 2025 25 May (2026-05-25) 2026
Corpus Christi Y Easter Sunday + 60 d checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 14 8 June (2023-06-08) 2023 30 May (2024-05-30) 2024 19 June (2025-06-19) 2025 4 June (2026-06-04) 2026
Saints Peter and Paul N 29 June [4] [4] checkY 1 29 June 2023 29 June 2024 29 June 2025 29 June 2026
Swiss National Day N 1 August checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 26 1 August 2023 1 August 2024 1 August 2025 1 August 2026
Assumption Day N 15 August checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 12 15 August 2023 15 August 2024 15 August 2025 15 August 2026
Jeûne genevois Y Thursday after First Sunday in September checkY 1 2023 2024 2025 2026
Lundi du Jeûne (Monday after previous) Y Day after Third Sunday in September checkY 1 2023 2024 2025 2026
Saint Nicholas of Flüe Day N 25 September checkY 1 25 September 2023 25 September 2024 25 September 2025 25 September 2026
All Saints Day N 1 November checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 15 1 November 2023 1 November 2024 1 November 2025 1 November 2026
Immaculate Conception N 8 December checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 13 8 December 2023 8 December 2024 8 December 2025 8 December 2026
Christmas Day N 25 December checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 26 25 December 2023 25 December 2024 25 December 2025 25 December 2026
St Stephen's Day N 26 December checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY checkY 21 26 December 2023 26 December 2024 26 December 2025 26 December 2026
Restoration Day N 31 December checkY 1 31 December 2023 31 December 2024 31 December 2025 31 December 2026
Total number of holidays per canton 12 12 9 9 9 9 14 9 11 11 12 15 9 13 14 9 10 14 15 10 15 14 9 9 13 10

Public holidays in specific places, parts of cantons

HolidayDateHolidayPartial Holiday
Carnival1 Second Monday before Ash Wednesday SZ
Thursday before Ash Wednesday LU, UR, NWSZ, SG, GR
Monday before Ash Wednesday GLZH, LU, UR, SZ, ZG, SG, AG
Tuesday before Ash Wednesday SZ, NW, OWLU, UR, BL, SG, AG, TI
Ash Wednesday NWSZ, BL, AR, TI, JU
Friday after Ash Wednesday TI
Monday after Ash Wednesday BSBL (Lower Part Afternoon), ZH
Tuesday after Ash Wednesday FR
Wednesday after Ash Wednesday BSBL (Lower Part Afternoon)
Republic Day 1 March NE (only)
Näfels Ride Usually the first Thursday in April GL (only)
Sechseläuten Usually the third Monday in April (half-day) Zürich City, Schlieren (only)
Independence Day 23 June JU (only)
Peter and Paul 29 June TILU, GR
Knabenschiessen Second weekend in September
(+ half Monday after)
Zürich City (and Zürich Metro Area) (only)
Prayer Monday Monday after Federal Day of Thanksgiving,
Repentance and Prayer
Legally recognized only in VD
(Lundi du Jeûne)
Also celebrated in NE and parts of BE.
Bank holiday in VS.
Mauritius Day 22 September AI (only) except Oberegg District
St. Leodegar (Schutzengelfest) 2 October Lucerne City (only)
L'Escalade 12 December GE (only)
1 The days around Carnival are (with the exception of very few individual municipalities) not public holidays. However, due to widely observed celebrations in the cantons mentioned, there are usually restrictions: for example, businesses might already close at noon or not open at all.

Notes and references

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