Immaculate Conception

The next dates

• 2026Tuesday, 8 December
• 2027Wednesday, 8 December
• 2028Friday, 8 December

In which cantons is Immaculate Conception a holiday?

• 5cantonspublic holiday throughout the canton
• 2cantonspublic holiday only in parts or under conditions
• 4cantonscantonal rest day
• 15cantonsnot a holiday

Origin

The Immaculate Conception is often misunderstood: it does not celebrate the conception of Jesus, which the Church marks on 25 March, nine months before Christmas. It celebrates the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother Anne. According to Catholic teaching, Mary was free from original sin from the very beginning. This teaching does not appear in the Bible. The feast comes from the Eastern Church, where around 700 it was celebrated as the “Conception of St. Anne”. In 1477, Pope Sixtus IV introduced it in Rome, and on 8 December 1854 Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception of Mary a dogma.

Sources: Sonntagsblatt: Mariä Empfängnis, ein oft missverstandener Feiertag

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.