When are the Swiss public holidays in your canton in 2023?
Switzerland has very few national public holidays, when most firms, schools, and other institutions are closed. There are, however, many that are celebrated on a regional or cantonal level. Here's what you need to know for 2023.
As with everything in Switzerland, holidays differ widely from canton to canton.
There are only four national ones: January 1st (New Year’s Day), Ascension Day (May 18th in 2023), August 1st (National Day), and December 25th (Christmas Day).
Technically speaking, Easter Sunday is also a national holiday, however it always falls on a Sunday.
What else do you need to know?
If the holiday falls on a weekend, as Easter Sunday does, you do not get an extra weekday holiday in lieu.
For the purposes of this article the abbreviations for the 26 Swiss cantons are as follows:
Aargau (AG), Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI), Appenzel Ausserhoden (AR), Bern (BE), Basel-Country (BL), Basel-City (BS), Fribourg (FR), Geneva (GE), Glarus (GL), Graubünden (GR), Jura (JU), Lucerne (LU), Neuchâtel (NE), Nidwalden, (NW), Obwalden (OW) Schwyz (SZ), Schaffhausen (SH), Solothurn (SO), St. Gallen (SG), Ticino (TI), Thurgau (TG), Uri (UR), Valais (VS), Vaud (VD), Zug (ZG), Zurich (ZH)
READ MORE: Why is Switzerland divided into 26 cantons?
January:
1st: New Year’s Day, National
2nd: Saint Berchtold’s Day , AG, BE, FR, GL, JU, LU, OW, SH, TG, VD
6th: Epiphany, GR, LU, SZ, TI, UR
March:
1st: Republic Day, NE
19th: St Joseph’s Day, GR, LU, NW, SZ, TI, UR, VS
April:
7th: Good Friday, national except TI and VS
9th: Easter Sunday, national
10th: Easter Monday, national except NE, SO, VS, ZG
READ MORE: Easter trees and egg smashing: how to celebrate Easter the Swiss way
New year, but the same public holidays, Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
May:
1st: Labour Day, BL, BS, JU, LU, NE, SH, SO, TG, TI, ZH
18th: Ascension Day, national
29th: Whit Monday, national except NE, SO, VS, ZG
June:
8th: Corpus Christi, national except AR, BL, BS, BE, GE, GL, NE, SH, SG, TG, VD, ZH23rd: Independence of Jura, JU
29th: St Peter and St Paul, GR, TI
August:
1st: National Day, national
15th: Assumption Day, AG, AI, FR, JU, LU, NW, OW, SO, SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG
READ MORE: Why Switzerland celebrates its national day on August 1st
Men dressed in traditional costumes take part in the celebration of Swiss National Day at the Rutli meadow overlooking Lake Lucerne, on August 1, 2022. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
September:
15th: Jeûne genevois, GE
17th: Jeûne federal, except GE
18th: Day after the Federal Fast, VD
22nd: St Mauritius, AI
25th: Brother Klaus Festival, OW
November:
1st: All Saints’ Day, national except AR, BL, BS, BE, GE, GR, NE, SH, TG, VD, ZH
December:
8th: Immaculate Conception, AG, AI, FR, GR, LU, NW, OW, SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG
24th: Christmas Eve, GL
25th: Christmas Day, national
Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash
31st: New Year’s Eve, GL
31st: Restoration Day, GE
READ MORE: How employees in Switzerland can take more holidays in 2023
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As with everything in Switzerland, holidays differ widely from canton to canton.
There are only four national ones: January 1st (New Year’s Day), Ascension Day (May 18th in 2023), August 1st (National Day), and December 25th (Christmas Day).
Technically speaking, Easter Sunday is also a national holiday, however it always falls on a Sunday.
What else do you need to know?
If the holiday falls on a weekend, as Easter Sunday does, you do not get an extra weekday holiday in lieu.
For the purposes of this article the abbreviations for the 26 Swiss cantons are as follows:
Aargau (AG), Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI), Appenzel Ausserhoden (AR), Bern (BE), Basel-Country (BL), Basel-City (BS), Fribourg (FR), Geneva (GE), Glarus (GL), Graubünden (GR), Jura (JU), Lucerne (LU), Neuchâtel (NE), Nidwalden, (NW), Obwalden (OW) Schwyz (SZ), Schaffhausen (SH), Solothurn (SO), St. Gallen (SG), Ticino (TI), Thurgau (TG), Uri (UR), Valais (VS), Vaud (VD), Zug (ZG), Zurich (ZH)
READ MORE: Why is Switzerland divided into 26 cantons?
January:
1st: New Year’s Day, National
2nd: Saint Berchtold’s Day , AG, BE, FR, GL, JU, LU, OW, SH, TG, VD
6th: Epiphany, GR, LU, SZ, TI, UR
March:
1st: Republic Day, NE
19th: St Joseph’s Day, GR, LU, NW, SZ, TI, UR, VS
April:
7th: Good Friday, national except TI and VS
9th: Easter Sunday, national
10th: Easter Monday, national except NE, SO, VS, ZG
READ MORE: Easter trees and egg smashing: how to celebrate Easter the Swiss way
May:
1st: Labour Day, BL, BS, JU, LU, NE, SH, SO, TG, TI, ZH
18th: Ascension Day, national
29th: Whit Monday, national except NE, SO, VS, ZG
June:
8th: Corpus Christi, national except AR, BL, BS, BE, GE, GL, NE, SH, SG, TG, VD, ZH23rd: Independence of Jura, JU
29th: St Peter and St Paul, GR, TI
August:
1st: National Day, national
15th: Assumption Day, AG, AI, FR, JU, LU, NW, OW, SO, SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG
READ MORE: Why Switzerland celebrates its national day on August 1st
September:
15th: Jeûne genevois, GE
17th: Jeûne federal, except GE
18th: Day after the Federal Fast, VD
22nd: St Mauritius, AI
25th: Brother Klaus Festival, OW
November:
1st: All Saints’ Day, national except AR, BL, BS, BE, GE, GR, NE, SH, TG, VD, ZH
December:
8th: Immaculate Conception, AG, AI, FR, GR, LU, NW, OW, SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG
24th: Christmas Eve, GL
25th: Christmas Day, national
Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash
31st: New Year’s Eve, GL
31st: Restoration Day, GE
READ MORE: How employees in Switzerland can take more holidays in 2023
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