The 26 cantons that make up Switzerland set their public holidays independently – with the exception of 1 August,[1] which is the only federal holiday.[2] Furthermore, holidays can change depending on employers, and some holidays are specific to only a certain town or village. In general, the most reliable list of holidays for a given area will be found in a list of bank shops and offices close during bank holidays.
| Holiday | Date | Holiday | Partial Holiday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival1 | Second Monday before Ash Wednesday | SZ | ||
| Thursday before Ash Wednesday | SZ, SG, GR | |||
| Monday before Ash Wednesday | ZH, LU, UR, SZ, ZG, SG, AG | |||
| Tuesday before Ash Wednesday | LU, UR, BL, SG, AG, TI | |||
| Ash Wednesday | SZ, BL, AR, TI, JU | |||
| Friday after Ash Wednesday | TI | |||
| Monday after Ash Wednesday | BL (Lower Part Afternoon), ZH | |||
| Tuesday after Ash Wednesday | FR | |||
| Wednesday after Ash Wednesday | BL (Lower Part Afternoon) | |||
| Republic Day | 1 March | NE (only) | ||
| Näfels Ride | Usually the first Thursday in April | GL (only) | ||
| Sechseläuten | Usually the third Monday in April (half-day) | Zürich City, Schlieren (only) | ||
| Independence Day | 23 June | JU (only) | ||
| Peter and Paul | 29 June | LU, GR | ||
| Knabenschiessen | Second weekend in September (+ half Monday after) | Zürich City (and Zürich Metro Area) (only) | ||
| Prayer Monday | Monday after Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance and Prayer | Legally recognized only in VD (Lundi du Jeûne) | Also celebrated in NE and parts of BE. Bank holiday in VS. | |
| Mauritius Day | 22 September | AI (only) except Oberegg District | ||
| St. Leodegar (Schutzengelfest) | 2 October | Lucerne City (only) | ||
| L'Escalade | 12 December | GE (only) |
| 1 | The days around Carnival are (with the exception of very few individual municipalities) not public holidays. However, due to widely observed celebrations in the cantons mentioned, there are usually restrictions: for example, businesses might already close at noon or not open at all. |