St. Joseph's Day

The next dates

• 2026Thursday, 19 March
• 2027Friday, 19 March
• 2028Sunday, 19 MarchWeekend

In which cantons is St. Joseph's Day a holiday?

• 2cantonspublic holiday throughout the canton
• 3cantonscantonal rest day
• 21cantonsnot a holiday

Origin

19 March is dedicated to St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus. He appears only on the margins of the Gospels; Matthew calls him a “righteous man”. His feast was prescribed for the whole Church in 1621 under Pope Gregory XV, and in 1870 Pope Pius IX declared him patron of the Church. Joseph is the patron saint of workers, especially carpenters, and of married couples. In Switzerland, the day is observed mainly in the Catholic cantons of central and southern Switzerland; it is a public holiday in Schwyz and Valais.

Sources: katholisch.at: Der heilige Josef

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.