Is today a public holiday in Switzerland?

Federal Constitution, Cantonal Sovereignty & Financial Settlement Rails

In Switzerland, public holidays operate under a deeply decentralized constitutional model. Under Article 110, Paragraph 3 of the Swiss Federal Constitution (Bundesverfassung - BV), Swiss National Day (Bundesfeiertag / fête nationale / festa nazionale, 1 August) is the only statutory public holiday established by federal law across the entire Swiss Confederation. By constitutional mandate, 1 August is legally equated to a Sunday and must be granted as a paid day off for all employees.

All other public holidays are legislated independently by Switzerland's 26 cantons. Under Article 20a, Paragraph 1 of the Federal Labour Act (Arbeitsgesetz - ArG), each cantonal government has the sovereign authority to designate up to eight additional public holidays per year that are legally equated to Sundays (den Sonntagen gleichgestellte Feiertage).

Cantonal Disparities: 8 Days vs. 15 Days

Because holiday legislation is cantonal law (Kantonsrecht), statutory holiday allowances vary drastically based on regional religious traditions:

• Reformed & Secular Cantons (8–10 Days): Protestant and historically urban cantons—such as Geneva, Zurich, Basel-Stadt, and Bern—observe fewer statutory holidays. Geneva, for example, observes the Genevan Fast (Jeûne genevois) and the Restoration of the Republic (31 December), but does not recognize Catholic solemnities.
• Catholic Cantons (13–15 Days): Cantons such as Ticino, Valais, Lucerne, Uri, and Jura recognize extensive Catholic calendars. These include Epiphany (6 January), Saint Joseph's Day (19 March), Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam), Assumption of Mary (15 August), All Saints' Day (1 November), and the Immaculate Conception (8 December).
• Customary Cantonal Rest Days (Ruhetage / Jours chômés): Many cantons designate additional local dates—such as Berchtoldstag (2 January) or local festivals like Sechseläuten and Knabenschiessen in Zurich—that are treated as customary rest days or partial holidays by local businesses and schools, but are not federally equated to Sundays under ArG Article 20a.

Arbeitsgesetz (ArG) & The 50% Holiday Pay Surcharge

Under Swiss federal labor law, work on Sundays and holidays equated to Sundays under ArG Article 20a is strictly prohibited, overseen by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Businesses requiring staff to work on these dates (such as hospitals, continuous manufacturing, gastronomy, or public transport) must obtain official cantonal or federal operating permits.

Under Article 19, Paragraph 3 of the Arbeitsgesetz, when an employee performs temporary work on a statutory holiday equated to a Sunday, the employer must compensate the employee with a mandatory wage premium of at least 50% (50% Lohnzuschlag) in addition to providing compensatory rest. For permanent shift workers with official ongoing permits, compensatory rest is required by law, while cash premiums depend on collective employment agreements (Gesamtarbeitsvertrag - GAV) or individual labor contracts.

No Monday Rollovers in Swiss Labor Law

Unlike the UK, US, or Australia, Switzerland does not operate a statutory Monday rollover system. If a statutory holiday—such as Swiss National Day (1 August) or Christmas Day—falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the day off is absorbed by the weekend and lost. Swiss statutory law does not grant a substitute day off on Monday, unless explicitly stipulated in an applicable industry GAV or corporate staff manual.

Banking Clearing Rails: SNB, SIX Interbank Clearing (SIC) & TWINT

Wholesale interbank financial settlement is supervised by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and operated by SIX Interbank Clearing via the SIC system (Swiss Interbank Clearing):

• SIC Settlement Halts: SIC halts Swiss Franc (CHF) interbank wholesale clearing on unified nationwide clearing holidays: New Year's Day, Berchtoldstag (2 Jan), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Swiss National Day (1 August), Christmas Day, and 26 December.
• Open on Regional Cantonal Holidays: Crucially, on regional cantonal holidays (such as Corpus Christi or All Saints' Day), the SIC central clearing network remains fully operational. While commercial bank lobbies in Lugano or Lucerne are closed, domestic electronic funds transfers and international treasury transactions continue clearing normally through Zurich and Geneva financial nodes.
• TWINT & Instant Clearing: Switzerland's dominant mobile payment network, TWINT, and the newly integrated SIC Instant Payment service function 24/7/365. Instant peer-to-peer and POS transactions execute within seconds regardless of cantonal holidays or weekend closures. Calculate payment turnaround windows using our Working Days Calculator.

Financial Markets (SIX Swiss Exchange)

The SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich operates on a standardized international trading calendar that prioritizes global liquidity over local cantonal commemorations:

• Full Exchange Closures: Trading halts on Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Swiss National Day (1 August), Christmas Day, 26 December, New Year's Day, and 2 January.
• Open on Cantonal Holidays: The SIX Swiss Exchange remains fully open for standard equity and bond trading on regional religious holidays (including Corpus Christi, Assumption, and All Saints' Day), as well as during local Zurich city events (Sechseläuten and Knabenschiessen), ensuring uninterrupted liquidity for Swiss Blue Chips (SMI) on global capital markets.

Switzerland Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)

When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in Switzerland, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:

Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in Switzerland

Because fixed calendar holidays shift one weekday forward between 2026 and 2027 (and movable lunar or liturgical holidays shift by 10 to 15 days), HR teams, payroll processors, and employees in Switzerland should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities: