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SWITZERLAND

When are the public holidays in Switzerland in 2021?

Switzerland has very few national public holidays, but there are many that are celebrated on a regional or cantonal level. Here’s a list of what is commemorated where and when.

Published: 22 December 2020 11:06 CET
Updated: 11 May 2021 20:59 CEST
When are the public holidays in Switzerland in 2021?
National Day on August 1st is among there biggest public holidays in Switzerland. Photo by AFP
Public holidays are when most businesses, schools, and other institutions are closed.

As with everything in Switzerland, things differ widely from canton to canton.

There are only four nationally and the cantons with the fewest paid public holidays have only five in total, up to 16 regionally. Switzerland has 26 cantons. 

When are they?

January 1st (New Year’s Day), Ascension Day (May 13th in 2021), August 1st (National Day), December 25th (Christmas Day).

Technically speaking, Easter Sunday is also a national holiday, however it always falls on a Sunday. 

What else do you need to know? 

If the holiday falls on a weekend, you do not get an extra weekday holiday in lieu.

For the purposes of this article the abbreviations for the cantons are as follows:

Aargau (AG), Appenzell Innerrhoden (AI), Appenzel Ausserhoden (AR), Bern (BE), Basel-Country (BL), Basel-City (BS), Fribourg (FR), Geneva (GE), Glarus (GL), Graubünden (GR), Jura (JU), Lucern (LU), Neuchâtel (NE), Nidwalden, (NW), Obwalden (OW) Schwyz (SZ),  Schaffhausen (SH), Solothurn (SO), St. Gallen (SG), Ticino (TI), Thurgau (TG), Uri (UR), Valais (VS), Vaud (VD), Zug (ZG), Zurich (ZH)

January:

1st: New Year’s Day, National

2nd: Saint Berchtold’s Day , AG, BE, FR, GL, JU, LU, OW, SH, TG, VD

6th: Epiphany, GR, LU, SZ, TI, UR

March:

1st: Republic Day,    NE

19th: St Joseph’s Day,   GR, LU, NW, SZ, TI, UR, VS

April:

2nd: Good Friday,   National except TI and VS

4th:  Easter Sunday,   National

5th: Easter Monday,   National except NE, SO, VS, ZG

READ MORE: What will Christmas be like in Switzerland this year? 

May:

1st: Labour Day,   BL, BS, JU, LU, NE, SH, SO, TG, TI, ZH

13th: Ascension Day,  National

24th: Whit Monday,  National except NE, SO, VS, ZG

June:

3rd: Corpus Christi,  National except AR, BL, BS, BE, GE, GL, NE, SH, SG, TG, VD, ZH

23rd:  Independence of Jura,   JU

29th:  St Peter and St Paul,    GR, TI

August:

1st: National Day,    National

15th,  Assumption Day,     AG, AI, FR, JU, LU, NW, OW, SO, SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG

September:

9th:  Jeûne genevois,   GE

20th:  Day after the Federal Fast,   VD

22nd:  St Mauritius,  AI

25th:  Brother Klaus Festival,   OW

November:

1st:    All Saints’ Day,    National except AR, BL, BS, BE, GE, GR, NE, SH, TG, VD, ZH

December:

8th:  Immaculate Conception,   AG, AI, FR, GR, LU, NW, OW, SZ, TI, UR, VS, ZG

24th: Christmas Eve,  GL

25th:  Christmas Day,   National

31st:  New Year’s Eve,   GL

31st: Restoration Day, GE

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SWITZERLAND

Three scenarios: How Switzerland plans to fight a Covid resurgence

Swiss government has devised three contingency plans that could be implemented to fight a new outbreak. What are they?

Published: 1 July 2021 11:08 CEST
Three scenarios: How Switzerland plans to fight a Covid resurgence
Authorities want to prevent overcrowded hospitals if new wave comes. Photo by Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

Although Switzerland relaxed a number of coronavirus rules from June 26th and 28th, “the pandemic is not over”, as Health Minister Alain Berset said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Berset said Switzerland should not become complacent, with last summer a warning against feeling that the battle is won. 

He added, however, that the new wave is unlikely to be as large as the previous ones due to the country’s vaccination campaign.

This situation leaves a degree of uncertainty for which the government wants to be prepared as well as possible, Berset noted.

The Federal Council established a “just-in-case” procedure on Wednesday for three possible scenarios that could take place in the autumn and winter. 

These plans focus mainly on the rapid detection of variants and the continuation of vaccination, testing, and tracing.

The best-case scenario: status quo

In this scenario, the number of cases remains at a low level, though small outbreaks are still possible.

The number of infections may increase slightly due to seasonal factors — the virus is known to spread slower in summer and faster in autumn and winter—  but does not place a significant burden on the health system.

If this happens, no measures beyond those already in place would be necessary.

READ MORE: ANALYSIS: Is Switzerland lifting its Covid-19 restrictions too quickly?

Not so good: more contaminations

In this second scenario, there is an increase in the number of cases in autumn or winter.

There may be several reasons for this, for example the large proportion of unvaccinated people, seasonal effects — people tend to stay indoors together in cold weather, and contaminations are easier — or the appearance of new, more infectious variants.

This situation could overburden the health system and require the reintroduction of certain measures, such as the obligation to wear a mask outdoors.

Booster vaccinations may also be necessary.

The worst: new virus mutations

In scenario three, one or more new variants appear, against which the vaccine or the post-recovery immunity are less effective or no longer effective.

A new wave of pandemic emerges, requiring strong intervention by the public authorities and a new vaccination.

Which of the three scenarios is most likely to happen?

The government hasn’t said, but judging by the comments of health officials, the latter two are the strongest contenders.

Firstly, because the highly contagious Delta mutation, which is spreading quickly through many countries, is expected to be dominant in Switzerland within a few weeks.

It is expected that the virus will spread mostly to those who are not vaccinated and, to a lesser degree, to people who have only had one shot of the vaccine, according to Andreas Cerny, epidemiologist at the University of Bern

READ MORE: How Switzerland plans to contain the Delta variant

Another concern is related to the appearance of the new variants which could be as or possibly even more contagious than Delta and not as responsive to the current vaccines.

The government said the best chance of avoiding the second or third scenarios is to ensure people are vaccinated. 

“Widespread vaccination of the population is crucial to relieve the burden on the healthcare system and to manage the epidemic. A possible increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the autumn will largely depend on the proportion of the population that has been vaccinated,” the government wrote in a press statement.

The government has also indicating it is preparing for booster vaccinations to take place in 2022 and are encouraging cantons to keep their vaccine infrastructures in place. 

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