How Public Holidays Work in Switzerland
Swiss National Day (1 August) is the only federal holiday; the other 7 listed here are observed in nearly every canton. A holiday that falls on a weekend is not moved.
Holidays are set by the cantons. Berchtoldstag (2 Jan) is common in German-speaking cantons, Catholic cantons add Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Assumption, All Saints' Day and Immaculate Conception, and Geneva has Jeûne genevois. Good Friday is not a holiday in Ticino and parts of Valais.
All Switzerland Holidays in 2016
| Date | Holiday | About |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Jan 1 | New Year's DayNeujahr | First day of the year, observed in every canton. |
| Fri, Mar 25 | Good FridayKarfreitag | The Friday before Easter; a holiday everywhere except Ticino and parts of Valais. |
| Mon, Mar 28 | Easter MondayOstermontag | The Monday after Easter Sunday. |
| Thu, May 5 | Ascension DayAuffahrt | Always a Thursday, 39 days after Easter; many people bridge to a four-day weekend. |
| Mon, May 16 | Whit MondayPfingstmontag | The Monday after Pentecost, 50 days after Easter. |
| Mon, Aug 1 | Swiss National DayBundesfeiertag | Commemorates the 1291 Federal Charter, with bonfires, fireworks and speeches; a federal holiday since 1994. |
| Sun, Dec 25 | Christmas DayWeihnachten | Gifts are traditionally exchanged the evening before. |
| Mon, Dec 26 | St Stephen's DayStephanstag | The day after Christmas, observed in most cantons. |
Click a date to see it on the monthly calendar.
Long Weekends in 2016
- New Year's Day Jan 1 – Jan 3 · 3 days
- Good Friday & Easter Monday Mar 25 – Mar 28 · 4 days
- Ascension Day bridge day: take Fri, May 6 offMay 5 – May 8 · 4 days
- Whit Monday May 14 – May 16 · 3 days
- Swiss National Day Jul 30 – Aug 1 · 3 days
- Christmas Day & St Stephen's Day Dec 24 – Dec 26 · 3 days
With 1 vacation day on the bridge days above you get 4 days off in total.1 holiday falls on a weekend without a substitute day this year.
Plan 2016 Around These Holidays
Add your vacation and bridge days to a calendar, then export it as a printable PDF. For the full year at a glance see the 2016 calendar.
Open Calendar Builder