New Year's Day falls on Thursday, 1 January in 2026. All 26 cantons designate it as a public holiday, but its legal basis is still cantonal.
New year, return travel and the first working week
Public holiday. New Year's Day 2026 falls on Thursday, 1 January 2026. All 26 cantons, with no municipal exception in the existing official overview.
Taking Friday, 2 January as leave joins New Year's Day 2026 to the weekend; school and workplace locations still determine the holiday return and work restart.
Only Swiss National Day on 1 August has federal constitutional holiday status. New Year's Day applies nationwide through cantonal holiday rules.
For New Year's Day, the reliable option is approved Friday leave; the exact scope determines whether the break applies.
Confirm 2 January as leave. For New Year's Day, the reliable option is approved Friday leave; the exact scope determines whether the break applies.
Leave, school closure and operator hours remain separate checks for the actual place.
Assumption: Monday-Friday working week.
Maximize your free time around New Year's Day:
New Year is clear nationwide. The next day becomes cantonal: 2 January, school breaks, return travel and work restart need a separate reading.
New Year's Day bundles several practical questions: when Christmas logistics end, when work restarts and what needs to be done before the first working day.
Typical patterns include family visits, New Year greetings, walks by lakes and in cities, and the shift from celebration mode back to the weekly rhythm.
Open the relevant calendar or tool below.