Switzerland Guide
Public holidays
National public holidays – when almost everything is closed – are listed below, but they're only part of the story. Most cantons supplement these with a handful of often religious holidays of their own, which can tie in with local festivals: various Catholic cantons, for instance, observe various saints' days (Ticino manages to authorize 17 annual holidays for itself). Common cantonal holidays include January 2 (St Bertold's Day, Berchtoldstag), January 6 (Epiphany, Dreikönigstag, Epiphanie, Epifania), May 1 (Labour Day, Tag der Arbeit, Fête du Travail, Festa del Lavoro), late May's Corpus Christi, August 15 (Assumption, Mariä Himmelsfahrt, Assomption, Assunzione) and November 1 (All Saints' Day, Allerheiligen, Toussaint, Ognissanti). Look out also for the seasonal pageants centred in various cities, and the often tumultuous celebrations of carnival on and around Mardi Gras in mid-February, which – amidst raucous partying in Luzern and Basel in particular – can often affect shop opening hours.
Liechtenstein has all the same Swiss public holidays except August 1: the national holiday is on August 15 instead. It also celebrates May 1 (Tag der Arbeit).
January 1 New Year's Day, Neujahr, Nouvel An, Capodanno
March/April Good Friday, Karfreitag, Vendredi saint, Venerdì Santo
March/April Easter Monday, Ostermontag, lundi de Pâques, Lunedì di Pasqua
May Ascension Day, Auffahrt/Christi Himmelfahrt, Ascension, Ascensione
May/June Whit Monday, Pfingstmontag, lundi de Pentecôte, Lunedì di Pentecoste
August 1 Swiss National Day, Nationalfeiertag, Fête nationale, Festa nazionale (public institutions and some shops and banks closed)
December 25 Christmas Day, Weihnachten, Noël, Natale
December 26 Boxing Day, Stefanstag, St-Etienne, Santo Stefano