Zurich public holidays 2031

• In 2031, nine public holidays fall on a weekday; between 2024 and 2035 it is 5 to 9, depending on the year.
• In 2031, no public holiday falls on a weekend.
• In 2031, Swiss National Day (Fri 1 Aug) and St. Stephen's Day (Fri 26 Dec) also give you a long weekend without taking leave.
• The most worthwhile bridge: New Year's Day, Berchtold's Day, with 1 day of leave for 5 days off in a row. Calculate all bridge days in 2031

In the canton of Zurich, 1 May is a public holiday, but Berchtold's Day is not, even though many employers give the day off. In the City of Zurich, the afternoons of Sechseläuten and of the Knabenschiessen Monday are also customarily off.

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

The Knabenschiessen is a shooting competition for young people from the city and canton of Zurich. It is first mentioned in 1656, when around 150 boys took part in a shooting contest. In its current form, it has been held at the Albisgüetli since 1899, and girls have taken part since 1991. It comes with one of the largest folk festivals in the city; on the Monday, the afternoon is customarily off in the City of Zurich.

Sources: Zürich Tourismus: Knabenschiessen