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# Swiss Public Holidays in 2024

**By:** Eli McGarvie

**Published:** February 20, 2023

Switzerland celebrates a number of public holidays throughout the year, each with its own unique traditions and cultural significance. The most important Swiss holiday is National Day, celebrated on August 1st, which commemorates the country's founding in 1291. If you are [living in Switzerland](/magazine/330-guide-for-expats-living-in-switzerland), you can expect to enjoy 9 public holidays a year.

Other notable holidays include Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost, which are celebrated with traditional foods, decorations, and religious services. In addition to these Christian holidays, Switzerland also celebrates several secular public holidays, such as New Year's Day, Labour Day, and the Swiss National Exhibition, or "Schwingfest," which is a popular festival featuring traditional Swiss wrestling competitions.

**RELATED:** [**Public Holidays in Zurich**](/magazine/177-zurich-public-holidays-in-2024)

## List of holidays in Switzerland 2024

| Date | Holiday | Local Name | Day |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January 1 | New Year's Day | Neujahr | Monday |
| January 2 | Berchtold Day | Berchtoldstag | Tuesday |
| January 6 | Three Kings Day | Heilige Drei Könige | Sunday |
| March 29 | Good Friday | Karfreitag | Friday |
| April 1 | Easter Monday | Ostermontag | Monday |
| May 1 | Labour Day | Staatsfeiertag | Wednesday |
| May 9 | Ascension Day | Christi Himmelfahrt | Thursday |
| May 20 | Whitmonday | Pfingstmontag | Monday |
| May 30 | Corpus Christi | Fronleichnam | Thursday |
| August 1 | National Day | Nationalfeiertag | Thursday |
| August 15 | Assumption Day | Mariä Himmelfahrt | Thursday |
| November 1 | All Saints’ Day | Allerheiligen | Friday |
| November 11 | Saint Martin's Day | Martin | Monday |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | Christtag | Wednesday |
| December 26 | St. Stephen's Day | Stefanitag | Thursday |
| December 31 | New Year's Eve | Silvester | Tuesday |

‍

## List of holidays in Switzerland 2025

| Date | Holiday | Local Name | Day |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January 1 | New Year's Day | Neujahr | Wednesday |
| January 2 | Berchtold Day | Berchtoldstag | Thursday |
| January 6 | Three Kings Day | Heilige Drei Könige | Monday |
| April 18 | Good Friday | Karfreitag | Friday |
| April 21 | Easter Monday | Ostermontag | Monday |
| May 1 | Labour Day | Staatsfeiertag | Thursday |
| May 29 | Ascension Day | Christi Himmelfahrt | Thursday |
| June 9 | Whitmonday | Pfingstmontag | Monday |
| June 19 | Corpus Christi | Fronleichnam | Thursday |
| August 1 | National Day | Nationalfeiertag | Friday |
| August 15 | Assumption Day | Mariä Himmelfahrt | Friday |
| November 1 | All Saints’ Day | Allerheiligen | Saturday |
| November 11 | Saint Martin's Day | Martin | Tuesday |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | Christtag | Thursday |
| December 26 | St. Stephen's Day | Stefanitag | Friday |
| December 31 | New Year's Eve | Silvester | Wednesday |

‍

## Regional Swiss holidays 2024

| Date | Holiday | Local Name | Day |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| March 1 | Republic Day | Republic Day | Friday |
| April 4 | Battle of Näfels | Näfelser Fahrt | Thursday |
| April 15 | Six Rings | Sechseläuten | Monday |
| June 23 | Juran Independence Day | Juran Independence Day | Monday |
| June 29 | Saint Peter & Paul’s day | Saint Peter & Paul’s day | Sunday |
| September 9 | Knabenschiessen | Knabenschiessen | Monday |
| September 22 | St Mauritius' Day | Martin | Monday |
| October 2 | St. Leodegar | Schutzengelfest | Wednesday |
| December 12 | L'Escalade | L'Escalade | Thursday |

‍

## Types of Swiss holidays

There are a few different types of holidays in Switzerland that are worth mentioning:

### Switzerland public holidays

In general, Switzerland has around **9 to 10 national public holidays** , including New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Swiss National Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. However, some cantons may also have **additional regional public holidays** , which can vary based on local traditions and customs

### Switzerland religious holidays

Switzerland is predominantly a Christian country, so many of its holidays are based on religious observances. Some of the most significant religious holidays in Switzerland include **Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas**. During these holidays, many Switzerland's attend church services and spend time with their families.

### Easter in Switzerland

Easter (_Ostern_) is one of the most popular holidays celebrated in Switzerland, second only to the Christmas season. **Easter in Switzerland is from April 18th - April 20th 2025**. Good Friday (_Karfreitag_) and Easter Monday (_Ostermontag_) are public holidays. Easter Monday is also a public holiday in many parts of Switzerland and is a day for relaxation and spending time with loved ones. Many people take the opportunity to travel or engage in leisure activities, such as hiking or skiing in the Swiss Alps.

### Cultural holidays

Each canton in Switzerland also has its own regional holidays, such as the Geneva Festival in August and the Chalandamarz festival in the canton of Graubünden, which celebrates the arrival of spring. Overall, public holidays in Switzerland are an important time for people to come together and celebrate their country's rich history and cultural heritage.

### Significance of Holidays

Holidays in Switzerland hold great importance because they reflect the country's rich cultural and historical traditions. They are an opportunity for people to celebrate their heritage and national identity, and to come together with family and friends.

## How public holidays work in Switzerland

In Switzerland, **public holidays mean most businesses are closed, just like Sundays**. **Employees get the day off and are still paid**. The holidays celebrated depend on the state where you work, not where you live. Each Swiss canton has different public holidays; for example, Genfer Bettag is a public holiday in Geneva, but not in Zurich.

‍

## Public holidays by country

| Country | Public holidays |
| --- | --- |
| [🇩🇪 Germany](/magazine/173-german-public-holidays-in-2024) | 9 |
| [🇦🇹 Austria](/magazine/174-austrian-public-holidays-in-2024) | 13 |
| [🇳🇱 Netherlands](/magazine/179-netherlands-public-holidays-in-2024) | 7 |
| [🇬🇧 UK](/magazine/224-uk-public-holidays-2024) | 12 |
| [🇨🇭 Switzerland](/magazine/175-swiss-public-holidays-in-2024) | 9 |
| [🇮🇪 Ireland](/magazine/430-ireland-public-holidays-2024) | 11 |
| [🏴 Scotland](/magazine/431-scotland-public-holidays-2024) | 9 |
| [🇫🇮 Finland](/magazine/432-finland-public-holidays-2024) | 10 |
| [🇫🇷 France](/magazine/433-france-public-holidays-2024) | 11 |
| [🇪🇸 Spain](/magazine/434-spain-public-holidays-2024) | 11 |
| [🇵🇹 Portugal](/magazine/435-portugal-public-holidays-2024) | 13 |
| [🇸🇪 Sweden](/magazine/436-sweden-public-holidays-2024) | 11 |
| [🇳🇴 Norway](/magazine/437-norway-public-holidays-2024) | 12 |
| [🇮🇹 Italy](/magazine/438-italy-public-holidays-2024) | 11 |



## Related Articles

- [Austrian Public Holidays in 2024](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/174-austrian-public-holidays-in-2024)
- [Sweden Public Holidays 2024](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/436-sweden-public-holidays-2024)
- [German Public Holidays in 2024](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/173-german-public-holidays-in-2024)
- [UK Public Holidays 2024](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/224-uk-public-holidays-2024)

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