Ascension Day

The next dates

• 2026Thursday, 14 May
• 2027Thursday, 6 May
• 2028Thursday, 25 May

In which cantons is Ascension Day a holiday?

• 26cantonspublic holiday throughout the canton

Origin

On Ascension Day, Christians celebrate the ascension of Jesus into heaven. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus appeared to his disciples for 40 days after his resurrection before being taken up into heaven. Ascension Day therefore always falls on a Thursday, 39 days after Easter Sunday, and the Friday after it is one of the most popular bridge days of the year. The Ascension Day processions in the canton of Lucerne are well known, for example in Beromünster, Hitzkirch and Sempach: processions on horseback and on foot go around the fields to pray for a good year and protection from storms. The procession in Beromünster, introduced around 1509, is considered the oldest in Switzerland.

Sources: MySwitzerland: Auffahrtsumritt in Beromünster · Südostschweiz: Auffahrt, ein Feiertag für Besinnung, Bewegung und Begegnung

What the three types mean

Public holiday

Treated like a Sunday (Art. 20a Labour Act). Employees have the day off.

Cantonal rest day

Public rest day under cantonal law, e.g. shops are closed. Under employment law it is a working day.

Customary day off

Not a public holiday, but many employers give the day off. Your employment contract decides whether you are off.