This post was published on 27 July 2013 and last updated by Annika on 24 August 2024.
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The main Swiss national holidays

Apart from national holidays, there are holidays and events that are different per canton and region. Below are the most important public holidays, when most Swiss people have the day off and shops are closed.

  • January 1: New Year’s Day
  • A Sunday and Monday in March or April (the date varies): Easter and Easter Monday
  • A Thursday, the 40th day after Eastern (the date varies): Ascension Day
  • A Sunday and Monday in May or June (the date varies): Whit Sunday and Monday
  • August 1: Swiss National Holiday
  • December 25 and 26: Christmas

Swiss school holidays

Holidays other than the national ones listed above differ per canton. But on average, these are typical school holiday weeks:

  • 2 weeks in late December/early January: Christmas holidays
  • 1 or 2 weeks in mid-February to early March: winter sports holidays
  • 2 weeks in April/early May: spring break
  • about 5 weeks in July/August: summer holidays
  • 2 weeks in October: autumn break

More of our practical Switzerland info: time, languages, and currency

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Annika
Page author: AnnikaSince early childhood I've been visiting Switzerland during my holidays and I just fell in love with the country. I spent many summers in the Bernese Oberland, which still feels like my second home, and then started to explore other areas. Traveling, hiking and photographing in the Swiss Alps are my absolute favorite activities.