Early-summer cafe on Whit Monday

Whit Monday

Cantonal holiday 22 cantons + local areas Falls on: Monday 3 free days without leave

Whit Monday falls on Monday, 25 May in 2026. It applies canton-wide in 22 cantons and in specifically defined areas of Fribourg and Aargau; Neuchâtel does not designate it as a statutory holiday. In Solothurn, the municipal rule must be checked for the exact address.

Author
Ferien-Kalender.ch editorial team
Last checked
Source basis
official sources and editorial review
Whit Monday 2026

Date, scope and what changes

Early summer, school and return travel

Cantonal holiday. Whit Monday 2026 falls on Monday, 25 May 2026. Canton-wide in Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Glarus, Zug, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Schaffhausen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, St Gallen, Graubünden, Thurgau, Ticino, Vaud, Valais, Geneva and Jura. In Fribourg it applies in Courgevaux, Fräschels, Greng, Kerzers, Meyriez, Muntelier, Murten, Ried bei Kerzers, Ulmiz and Mont-Vully, plus Flamatt and Sensebrügg. In Aargau it applies in the districts of Aarau, Baden, Brugg, Kulm, Lenzburg and Zofingen, plus Kaiseraugst, Magden, Möhlin, Olsberg, Rheinfelden, Wallbach, Zeiningen and Zuzgen. In Solothurn, Monday is not part of this canton-wide scope; a municipality may separately designate an additional municipal rest day.

Monday extends the weekend only within the stated scope; in Neuchâtel, Catholic Fribourg and the remaining Aargau municipalities, 25 May may be a regular working day. Solothurn's Rest Days Act allows municipalities to designate additional municipal rest days, so the municipality controls planning for the exact address.

Only Swiss National Day on 1 August has federal constitutional holiday status. Whit Monday rests on cantonal holiday rules.

Date
50 days after Easter.
Scope
22 cantons + local areas
Canton-wide in Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Glarus, Zug, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Schaffhausen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, St Gallen, Graubünden, Thurgau, Ticino, Vaud, Valais, Geneva and Jura. In Fribourg it applies in Courgevaux, Fräschels, Greng, Kerzers, Meyriez, Muntelier, Murten, Ried bei Kerzers, Ulmiz and Mont-Vully, plus Flamatt and Sensebrügg. In Aargau it applies in the districts of Aarau, Baden, Brugg, Kulm, Lenzburg and Zofingen, plus Kaiseraugst, Magden, Möhlin, Olsberg, Rheinfelden, Wallbach, Zeiningen and Zuzgen. In Solothurn, Monday is not part of this canton-wide scope; a municipality may separately designate an additional municipal rest day.
Planning
23 May 2026 to 25 May 2026
3 free days without leave
3 free days without leave

Extend Pentecost with the correct regional scope

Whit Monday extends the weekend without leave in 22 cantons and the listed areas of Fribourg and Aargau.

Treat Monday as free only in the verified scope. Whit Monday extends the weekend without leave in 22 cantons and the listed areas of Fribourg and Aargau.

Leave, school closure and operator hours remain separate checks for the actual place.

Calendar effect
23 May 2026 to 25 May 2026
50 days after Easter.

Assumption: Monday-Friday working week.

Workplace applicability is not confirmed; no leave days are preselected. Local or partial employment entitlement for Whit Monday (2026-05-25) at the workplace in Switzerland must be confirmed with the municipality and employer.

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Pentecost

Use Whit Monday as a family anchor

Whit Monday is the calm anchor after Pentecost in many plans. Schools, outings and return travel should still be checked by canton.

Whit Monday in Switzerland
Whit Monday is the calm anchor after Pentecost in many plans. Schools, outings and return travel should still be checked by canton.

Whit Monday is free in many cantons and often sits at the threshold between spring and early summer. For families the school-break window is almost as important as the holiday itself.

The religious meaning remains present, but daily life is dominated by short trips, bike rides, visits and the start of the warm outing season.

Sources & further reading

  1. SECO: leisure and public holidays : Federal guidance distinguishing the nationwide holiday from cantonal holidays.
  2. Swiss Labour Act Art. 20a : Federal labour rule for canton-designated holidays.
  3. Federal Constitution Art. 110 : constitutional status of Swiss National Day.
  4. Historical federal compilation (2011) : Historical context only; not current scope authority.
  5. EDK school holidays : Cantonal school-holiday source.
  6. Aargau Employment Law § 6 : current official district and municipality scope.
  7. Fribourg public holidays : current official Catholic and Reformed municipality scope.
  8. Neuchâtel official holidays : 2026 calendar with conditional 2 January and 26 December observance.
  9. Federal Customs: holiday operations : Federal operations list; cantonal law controls holiday scope.
  10. Canton of Solothurn: Rest Days Act : Current law allowing municipalities to designate additional municipal rest days.
  11. Solothurn Labour Inspectorate: public holidays : Current guidance that municipal rules control the applicable local holiday arrangement.
  12. Canton of Zurich: public holidays : Official source for the stated scope.
  13. Canton of Bern: Public Holidays Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  14. Canton of Lucerne: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  15. Canton of Uri: Public Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  16. Canton of Schwyz: public holidays : Official source for the stated scope.
  17. Canton of Obwalden: Public Holidays Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  18. Canton of Nidwalden: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  19. Canton of Glarus: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  20. Canton of Zug: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  21. Canton of Basel-Stadt: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  22. Canton of Basel-Landschaft: Public Holidays Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  23. Canton of Schaffhausen: rest-day law : Official source for the stated scope.
  24. Appenzell Ausserrhoden: Work Ordinance : Official source for the stated scope.
  25. Appenzell Ausserrhoden: public holidays 2026 : Official source for the stated scope.
  26. Appenzell Ausserrhoden: working and rest times : Official source for the stated scope.
  27. Appenzell Innerrhoden: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  28. Appenzell Innerrhoden: public holidays 2026 : Official source for the stated scope.
  29. Canton of St Gallen: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  30. Canton of Graubünden: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  31. Canton of Thurgau: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  32. Canton of Ticino: public holidays 2026 : Official source for the stated scope.
  33. Canton of Vaud: public holidays 2026 : Official source for the stated scope.
  34. Canton of Valais: Public Holidays Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  35. Canton of Geneva: public holidays 2026 : Official source for the stated scope.
  36. Canton of Jura: public holidays : Official source for the stated scope.
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