Easter 2025, 2026 and 2027
Easter time in Switzerland is celebrated with a public holiday on Good Friday and another on Easter Monday for most cantons across the country. This holiday season provides the opportunity to share in a host of interesting traditions, delicious Easter dishes, and beautiful springtime weather.
Good Friday will be observed on 18 April in 2025, with Easter Sunday two days later on 20 April. In 2026 Easter will be celebrated earlier in the month with Easter Sunday falling on 5 April.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday | Cantons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 18 Apr | Fri | Good Friday | National except TI & VS |
| 21 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday | National except NE, SO, VS & ZG | |
| 2026 | 3 Apr | Fri | Good Friday | National except TI & VS |
| 6 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday | National except NE, SO, VS & ZG | |
| 2027 | 26 Mar | Fri | Good Friday | National except TI & VS |
| 29 Mar | Mon | Easter Monday | National except NE, SO, VS & ZG | |
| Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates. | ||||
The date of Easter differs each year because it is calculated with reference to the lunar cycle. According to a 1700 year-old system, Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or after the ecclesiastical March equinox (always March 21). This means Easter Sunday can fall between the end of March and the End of April, and it is the reason Easter is observed later in 2025 than in other recent years.
As in many other European countries, Easter in Switzerland is gradually becoming more commercialised and less religious in nature. Even 50 years ago, religious observances were much stronger, but today, Easter egg painting, Easter egg hunts, Easter cakes, and chocolate rabbits are the things most associatedwith the season.
Some of the most notable modern Swiss Easter traditions include the following:
- The cuckoo bird is thought to deliver the Easter eggs each year instead of the Easter Bunny, though the eggs are still brought in Easter baskets. Cuckoos are thought to be harbingers of good luck and hope.
- In the western cantons near France, the French tradition of the church bells flying to Rome the week prior to Easter holds sway. It is also believed that the bells, not the cuckoo, are responsible for delivering the eggs.
- On Easter Sunday, eggs hidden in the garden, house, or other location are hunted down by children who place them into their Easter baskets. Whoever finds the most eggs is rewarded with extra gifts like chocolates and sugar-eggs.
- In some of the more traditional villages, the villagers are accustomed to go about town giving gifts of cheese, fresh bread, and wine around Easter time. This adds greatly to the cheer of the season, and it strengthens friendships among neighbours as well.
Previous Years
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday | Cantons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 29 Mar | Fri | Good Friday | National except TI & VS |
| 1 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday | National except NE, SO, VS & ZG | |
| 2023 | 7 Apr | Fri | Good Friday | National except TI & VS |
| 10 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday | National except NE, SO, VS & ZG |