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 Public Holidays in Geneva, Switzerland & France

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The French for: bank holiday/public holiday/legal holiday is un jour férié

  • Banks, shops, offices and even some restaurants close on public holidays
  • Police stations and hospitals do not close
  • Most of the larger shops (especially supermarkets) open on public holidays but some businesses and banks remain closed

Some public holidays are specific to certain cantons. For example the Jeûne Genevois (Geneva Fast) on the Thursday following the first Sunday in September is celebrated in Geneva only, while the rest of Switzerland has the day off for the Jeûne Fédéral (Federal Fast) on a Monday 10 days later.

Below is information on the national public holidays observed in all cantons throughout the country, and those observed in the cantons of  Geneva, Vaud, Jura and Neuchâtel.

2008 Public Holidays in Geneva, Vaud, Jura & Neuchâtel 
1 January New Year's Day (Tuesday) all cantons
2 January  St Berchtold’s Day (Wednesday) Vaud, Jura, Neuchâtel
1 March Republic's Day (Saturday) Neuchâtel only
21 March Good Friday all cantons
23 March Easter Sunday all cantons
24 March Easter Monday all cantons
1 May Labour Day (Thursday) Jura
1 May Ascension Day (Thursday) all cantons
12 May Pentecost/Whitmonday all cantons
22 May Corpus Christi (Thursday) Jura
23 June Independence day (Monday) Jura only
1 August Swiss National Day (Friday) all cantons
15 August  Assumption (Friday) Jura
11 September Geneva Fast (Thursday) Geneva only
22 September Federal Fast (Monday) all cantons except Geneva
1 November  All Saints’ Day (Saturday) Jura
25 December Christmas Day (Thursday) all cantons
31 December Restoration Day (Wednesday) Geneva only
National Public Holidays in France 2008
  • French organisations and businesses close on public holidays. 
  • Although some shopping centres and grocers open for part of the day, the majority of shops do not. 
  • Police stations and hospitals do not close.
  • When a public holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, it is common practice to "make the bridge" (faire le pont) by taking off the Friday or Monday so creating a very long weekend. When this happens you may find businesses running on short staff or smaller family run business closed for the full period.
1 January New Year's Day/Nouvel An (Tuesday)
23 March Easter Sunday/Paques
24 March Easter Monday/Lundi de Paques
1 May Labour Day/Fête du Travail (Thursday)
1 May Ascension Day (Thursday)
8 May WWII Victory Day/Fête de la Victoire 1945 (Thursday)
11 May Pentecost (Sunday)
12 May Pentecost Monday
14 July Bastille Day, France's national holiday (Monday)
15 August Assumption Day (Friday)
1 November All Saints' Day/Toussaint (Saturday)
11 November   Armistice Day 1918 (Tuesday)
25 December Christmas Day/Noël (Thursday)
 
Public Holidays Worldwide

For information on public holidays around the world, see the following links:


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