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 to look for the list of bank holidays, as nearly all shops and offices close during bank holidays.

Public holidays in cantons
HolidayVariable?DateAGAIARBLBSBEFRGEGLGRJULUNENWOWSGSHSZSOTGTIURVSVDZGZHNumber of cantons2020202120222023
New Year's Day N 1 January * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 26 1 January 2020 1 January 2021 1 January 2022 1 January 2023
Berchtold's Day N 2 January * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 14 2 January 2020 2 January 2021 2 January 2022 2 January 2023
Epiphany N 6 January * * * * * 5 6 January 2020 6 January 2021 6 January 2022 6 January 2023
Republic Day N 1 March * 1 1 March 2020 1 March 2021 1 March 2022 1 March 2023
St Joseph's Day N 19 March * * * * * * * * 8 19 March 2020 19 March 2021 19 March 2022 19 March 2023
Näfels Ride N 3 April * 1 3 April 2020 3 April 2021 3 April 2022 3 April 2023
Good Friday Y Easter Sunday – 2 d * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [3] * [3] * * * 24 2020 2021 2022 2023
Easter Monday Y Easter Sunday + 1 d * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 25 13 April (2020-04-13) 2020 5 April (2021-04-05) 2021 18 April (2022-04-18) 2022 10 April (2023-04-10) 2023
Labour Day N 1 May * * * * * * * * * * * 11 1 May 2020 1 May 2021 1 May 2022 1 May 2023
Ascension Day Y Easter Sunday + 39 d * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 26 21 May (2020-05-21) 2020 13 May (2021-05-13) 2021 26 May (2022-05-26) 2022 18 May (2023-05-18) 2023
Whit Monday Y Easter Sunday + 50 d * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 25 1 June (2020-06-01) 2020 24 May (2021-05-24) 2021 6 June (2022-06-06) 2022 29 May (2023-05-29) 2023
Corpus Christi Y Easter Sunday + 60 d * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 14 11 June (2020-06-11) 2020 3 June (2021-06-03) 2021 16 June (2022-06-16) 2022 8 June (2023-06-08) 2023
Independence Day N 23 June * 1 23 June 2020 23 June 2021 23 June 2022 23 June 2023
Saints Peter and Paul N 29 June [4] [4] * 1 29 June 2020 29 June 2021 29 June 2022 29 June 2023
Swiss National Day N 1 August * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 26 1 August 2020 1 August 2021 1 August 2022 1 August 2023
Assumption N 15 August * * * * * * * * * * * * 12 15 August 2020 15 August 2021 15 August 2022 15 August 2023
Jeûne genevois Y after 1st Sunday in September * 1 2020 2021 2022 2023
Lundi du Jeûne (Monday after previous) Y after 3rd Sunday in September [4] [3] [3] * 1 2020 2021 2022 2023
Saint Nicholas of Flüe Day N 25 September * 1 25 September 2020 25 September 2021 25 September 2022 25 September 2023
All Saints Day N 1 November * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 15 1 November 2020 1 November 2021 1 November 2022 1 November 2023
Immaculate Conception N 8 December * * * * * * * * * * * * * 13 8 December 2020 8 December 2021 8 December 2022 8 December 2023
Christmas Day N 25 December * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 26 25 December 2020 25 December 2021 25 December 2022 25 December 2023
St Stephen's Day N 26 December * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 21 26 December 2020 26 December 2021 26 December 2022 26 December 2023
Restoration Day N 31 December * 1 31 December 2020 31 December 2021 31 December 2022 31 December 2023

Public holidays in specific places, parts of cantons
HolidayDateHoliday in cantonsPartial Holiday in cantons
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 (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 TILU, 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. most stores are closed, despite the day not being a public holiday
  4. some areas
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