Sechseläuten

The next dates

• 2026Monday, 20 April
• 2027Monday, 19 April
• 2028Monday, 24 April

In which cantons is Sechseläuten a holiday?

• 1cantoncustomary day off
• 25cantonsnot a holiday

Origin

The name comes from the ringing of the bells at six o'clock: since at least 1525, after the spring equinox, a bell of the Grossmünster again rang in the end of the working day at six in the evening; in the winter half of the year, work ended earlier. The guild parade dates from the 19th century: in 1818 the Zunft zur Meisen paraded through the city in costume, and the first joint parade followed in 1839. At the end, the Böögg is set alight at 6 p.m., a snowman made of cotton wool with a head full of fireworks. According to popular belief, the faster the head explodes, the better the summer will be: 5 to 12 minutes are seen as a sign of a warm, sunny summer, a longer burning time as a sign of a rather wet one.

Sources: Zentralbibliothek Zürich: Zürcher Zünfte und Sechseläuten · Zürich Tourismus: Sechseläuten

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.