Public holidays in Switzerland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Switzerland, holidays — with the exception of August 1 — are defined on a cantonal basis. Holidays in the entire country are written in bold. Abbreviations for the Swiss cantons are described in Cantons of Switzerland.

[edit] National Holidays

Date English Name Local Name Holiday in
German French Italian Romansh
January 1 New Year's Day Neujahr Nouvel an Capodanno Bumaun entire Switzerland
January 2 Saint Berchtold Berchtoldstag Saint Berchtold San Basilio Firà da Bumaun AG (partly), BE, FR, GL, JU, LU, NE, OW, SH, SO, TG, VD, ZG, ZH
January 6 Epiphany Heilige drei Könige Epiphanie Epifania GR (partly), SZ, TI, UR, LU
March 19 Saint Joseph's Day Josefstag Saint Joseph San Giuseppe cath. regions: GR (partly), LU (partly), NW, SO (partly), SZ, TI, UR, VS
Friday before Easter Good Friday Karfreitag Vendredi Saint Venerdì santo Venderdi sontg entire Switzerland, without TI, VS
Monday after Easter Easter Monday Ostermontag Lundi de Pâques Lunedì di Pasqua Glindesdi da Pasca entire Switzerland, without VS
May 1 May Day Tag der Arbeit Fête du travail Festa del lavoro Di da la lavur BL, BS, FR (partly), JU, LU (partly), SH, SO (partly), TG, TI, ZH
39 days after Easter Ascension Day Auffahrt Ascension Ascensione Anzainzas entire Switzerland
Monday after Pentecost Whit Monday Pfingstmontag Lundi de Pentecôte Lunedì di Pentecoste Glindesdi da Tschuncaisma entire Switzerland, without VS
60 days after Easter Corpus Christi Fronleichnam Fête-Dieu Corpus Domini Sontgilcrest Catholic regions: AG (partly), AI, FR (partly), GR (partly), JU, LU, NW, OW, SO, SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG
June 29 St. Peter and St. Paul Peter und Paul Sts Pierre et Paul SS. Pietro e Paolo GR (partly), TI
August 1 Swiss National Day Schweizer Nationalfeiertag Fête nationale Suisse Festa nazionale della Svizzera Festa naziunala entire Switzerland
August 15 Assumption of Mary Mariä Himmelfahrt Assomption Assunzione Assumziun Catholic regions: AG (partly), AI, FR (partly), GR (partly), JU, LU, NW, OW, SO, SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG
Third Sunday in September Swiss federal fast Eidgenössischer Dank-, Buss- und Bettag Jeûne fédéral Digiuno federale Festa da la rogaziun federala entire Switzerland, without GE
November 1 All Saints Allerheiligen Toussaint Ognissanti Numnasontga Catholic regions: AG (partly), AI, FR (partly), GL, GR (partly), JU, LU, NW, OW, SG, SO, SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG
December 8 Immaculate Conception Mariä Empfängnis Immaculée Conception Immacolata Concezione Immaculata concepziun Catholic regions: AG (partly), AI, FR (partly), GR (partly), LU, NW, OW, SO (partly), SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG
December 25 Christmas Weihnachtstag Noël Natale Di da Nadal entire Switzerland
December 26 St. Stephen's Day Stephanstag Saint Etienne Santo Stefano Son Steffan entire Switzerland, without GE, JU, VD, VS
in NE only if occurring on Monday

[edit] Regional Holidays

In addition to these national or general holidays there are also many regional and local holidays, most of which are only valid for one district or a few communes and sometimes are not accepted by law. Due to the high number of such local holidays, the following selection can only show a few of them:

Date Name Holiday in
6 days before Ash Wednesday Fat Thursday LU, NW, UR
Monday, Tuesday before Ash Wednesday Carnival SZ, GL only Monday
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday after Ash Wednesday Carnival in Basel only BS
March 1 Republic's day only NE
First Thursday in April Näfelser Fahrt only GL
June 23 Independence day only JU
Thursday following the first Sunday in September Jeûne genevois (Genevan fast) only GE
First weekend (and afternoon of following Monday) in September   Knabenschiessen only city (and agglomeration) of Zurich
September 25 Bruderklausenfest only OW
December 31 Restoration of the Republic   only GE

[edit] External links

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