Switzerland has a holiday system unlike almost anywhere else: only one single public holiday is legally protected nationwide — Swiss National Day, August 1st. Every other holiday, including Christmas and New Year's Day, is technically decided canton by canton, not at the federal level. With 26 cantons each setting their own calendar, the total can range from 9 to as many as 15 holidays a year, depending on exactly where you are. This feed sends you a single reminder so you're not stuck cross-referencing your canton's specific calendar every year. Click the green Configure button and choose how far ahead you want to be alerted.
Why use a reminder for Swiss public holidays?
- A "national" holiday isn't always national: Outside of August 1st, even days that feel universal, like Labour Day, are only observed in certain cantons — Zurich and Basel give the day off, while Lucerne and Uri don't. A reminder helps you check rather than assume.
- No automatic substitute days: Swiss labour law doesn't shift a holiday to another day if it lands on a weekend — in 2026, several holidays including National Day itself fall on a Saturday, meaning no extra day off unless your employer agrees otherwise.
- Catch the bridge-day windows: Holidays like Ascension Day, which always falls on a Thursday, create a natural opportunity to take the Friday off too — a reminder gives you time to plan it.
- One feed, the whole year: Instead of separately tracking your specific canton's calendar, get the dates that matter handled with one setup.
Why August 1st matters so much
Swiss National Day commemorates the Federal Charter of 1291, signed by the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden at the Rütli meadow above Lake Uri — widely regarded as the founding document of the Swiss Confederation. The day is marked nationwide with bonfires on hilltops, fireworks over lakes like Geneva, Zurich, and Lucerne, and the traditional outdoor barbecue gathering known as "Bräteln."
A patchwork shaped by religion and history
Many of Switzerland's holiday differences trace back to the country's religious divide: Catholic cantons like Valais, Ticino, and Lucerne tend to observe more holidays, including feast days like the Assumption of Mary, while historically Protestant cantons such as Zurich, Bern, and Geneva often skip them entirely. Geneva and Vaud go further still, observing their own unique local holidays — the Jeûne genevois and Lundi du Jeûne — tied to the canton's own history rather than any nationwide tradition.
Worth knowing
Ticino tops the country with the most public holidays of any canton, while Aargau sits closer to the bare minimum, illustrating just how different two Swiss workplaces' calendars can look despite being in the same country.
So whether you're tracking the one truly national holiday or your specific canton's extras, click that green Configure button and let the dates come to you.