St. Stephen's Day in Switzerland
Quick Facts
The Feast of Saint Stephen is a public holiday in large parts of Switzerland.Local names
| Name | Language |
|---|---|
| Stephanstag | German |
| Saint Etienne | French |
| Santo Stefano | Italian |
| St. Stephen's Day | English |
Alternative name
2nd day of ChristmasSt. Stephen's Day 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012St. Stephen's Day 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013List of dates for other years
The Feast of Saint Stephen on December 26 is a public holiday in large parts of Switzerland. The observation is nowadays commonly considered the second and last day of Christmas. However, according to Christian liturgy it does not have anything to do with the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ but is a religious holiday in its own right.

The last Christmas sweets are eaten on St. Stephen's Day. ©iStockphoto.com/Adrian Assalve
What do people do?
Many people in Switzerland spend St. Stephen's Day with family and friends. Some may attend a church service, others use the last work-free day of the Christmas period to relax at home or go on long walks or skiing trips.
Public life
St. Stephen's Day is a public holiday or “silent day” in the following cantons:
- Appenzell Innerrhoden
- Appenzell Ausserrhoden
- Bern
- Basel-Landschaft
- Basel-Stadt
- Glarus
- Graubünden
- Lucerne
- St. Gallen
- Schaffhausen
- Schwyz
- Thurgau
- Ticino
- Zurich
It is also a public holiday or “silent day” in some communes of the following cantons:
- Aargau
- Solothurn
In these areas, offices, banks, schools and most businesses are closed. This may also be the case in the rest of Switzerland. In most areas, public transport runs on a reduced schedule.
Background
According to the Bible, Saint Stephen was a contemporary of Jesus Christ. In Christianity, he is considered the arch martyr because he is said to be the first person executed on grounds of his Christian faith.
St. Stephen's Day Observances
| Weekday | Date | Year | Name | Holiday type | Where it is observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | Dec 26 | 1980 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sat | Dec 26 | 1981 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sun | Dec 26 | 1982 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Mon | Dec 26 | 1983 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Wed | Dec 26 | 1984 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Thu | Dec 26 | 1985 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Fri | Dec 26 | 1986 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sat | Dec 26 | 1987 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Mon | Dec 26 | 1988 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Tue | Dec 26 | 1989 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Wed | Dec 26 | 1990 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Thu | Dec 26 | 1991 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sat | Dec 26 | 1992 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sun | Dec 26 | 1993 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Mon | Dec 26 | 1994 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Tue | Dec 26 | 1995 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Thu | Dec 26 | 1996 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Fri | Dec 26 | 1997 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sat | Dec 26 | 1998 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sun | Dec 26 | 1999 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Tue | Dec 26 | 2000 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Wed | Dec 26 | 2001 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Thu | Dec 26 | 2002 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Fri | Dec 26 | 2003 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sun | Dec 26 | 2004 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Mon | Dec 26 | 2005 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Tue | Dec 26 | 2006 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Wed | Dec 26 | 2007 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Fri | Dec 26 | 2008 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sat | Dec 26 | 2009 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sun | Dec 26 | 2010 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Mon | Dec 26 | 2011 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Wed | Dec 26 | 2012 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Thu | Dec 26 | 2013 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Fri | Dec 26 | 2014 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
| Sat | Dec 26 | 2015 | St. Stephen's Day | Common Local holidays | All except GE, JU, VD, VS |
Other holidays in December 2012 in Switzerland
- Feast of the Immaculate Conception ―Saturday, December 8, 2012
- Christmas Eve ―Monday, December 24, 2012
- Christmas Day ―Tuesday, December 25, 2012
- New Year's Eve ―Monday, December 31, 2012
Other calendars
- Perpetual yearly calendar - make yearly calendar for any year
- Perpetual monthly calendar - shows only one month at a time
- Custom calendar - make customized calendars
