Corpus Christi

The next dates

• 2026Thursday, 4 June
• 2027Thursday, 27 May
• 2028Thursday, 15 June

In which cantons is Corpus Christi a holiday?

• 9cantonspublic holiday throughout the canton
• 4cantonspublic holiday only in parts or under conditions
• 1cantoncantonal rest day
• 12cantonsnot a holiday

Origin

Corpus Christi is the feast of the Body of Christ; its German name, Fronleichnam, comes from the Middle High German “vrône lîcham”, body of the Lord. It was initiated by a nun, Juliana of Liège: it was first celebrated in Liège in 1246, and in 1264 Pope Urban IV introduced it for the whole Church. Corpus Christi falls on the second Thursday after Whitsun, 60 days after Easter Sunday. A typical feature is the procession in which the consecrated host is carried through the streets. In the Lötschental, the Herrgottsgrenadiere march along in red coats and white trousers, modelled on the uniforms that people from the valley once wore in foreign military service.

Sources: Vatikan: Benedikt XVI. über Juliana von Lüttich · Lötschental Tourismus: Herrgottsgrenadiere

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.