Epiphany

The next dates

• 2026Tuesday, 6 January
• 2027Wednesday, 6 January
• 2028Thursday, 6 January

In which cantons is Epiphany a holiday?

• 1cantonpublic holiday throughout the canton
• 2cantonscantonal rest day
• 23cantonsnot a holiday

Origin

On 6 January, the Church celebrates Epiphany. The feast recalls the wise men from the East who, according to the Gospel of Matthew, brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn Jesus. The Bible does not say that there were three kings; the number was later derived from the three gifts. Throughout Switzerland, people eat the Three Kings' cake with a hidden king. The Swiss bakers' and confectioners' association and the bread researcher Max Währen revived this old custom in the early 1950s. In 1952, 50,000 cakes were sold; today, around 1.5 million are sold every year.

Sources: Schweizer Bäcker-Confiseure: 6. Januar und sein Kuchen

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.