Is it a day off?
A public holiday in some regions of Switzerland only: Aargau, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Bern, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Glarus, Graubünden, Luzern, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Stadt Zürich, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Zürich.
In 2029 it falls on a Wednesday, a working day.
Fixed date: it is on the same day of the year every year (26 Dec).
Saturday and Sunday · A public holiday does not always close every business. Essential services, shops and some industries keep working, and pay rules differ by country and contract.
Saint Stephen's Day
Saint Stephen's Day honours Stephen, described in the Acts of the Apostles as one of seven men chosen to serve the early Christian community in Jerusalem and as the first Christian martyr. According to Acts he was stoned to death after a speech before the Jewish council, and he is remembered for asking forgiveness for his killers. Stephen is regarded as a patron of deacons, and in popular devotion of horses, and many churches and several cities bear his name. The feast has long been associated with charity and kindness to the poor.
The feast comes straight after Christmas Day in the Western calendar, which gave it a natural place in the Christmas season. In 2027 it is a public holiday on this site in Austria, Italy, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Andorra, San Marino, Vatican City and Ireland, in most Swiss cantons and in the French region of Alsace-Moselle. In Ireland it is the name by which the day is known, rather than Boxing Day, with horse racing, football and visits to family as typical ways of spending it. The carol Good King Wenceslas is set on the feast.
Saint Stephen's Day: all countries
Dates by year
- 2024: Thursday, 26 December 2024
- 2025: Friday, 26 December 2025
- 2026: Saturday, 26 December 2026
- 2027: Sunday, 26 December 2027
- 2028: Tuesday, 26 December 2028
- 2029: Wednesday, 26 December 2029
- 2030: Thursday, 26 December 2030
- 2031: Friday, 26 December 2031
- 2032: Sunday, 26 December 2032
- 2033: Monday, 26 December 2033
- 2034: Tuesday, 26 December 2034
- 2035: Wednesday, 26 December 2035
Where it applies
Aargau, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Bern, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Glarus, Graubünden, Luzern, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Stadt Zürich, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Zürich