Epiphany falls on Tuesday, 6 January in 2026. The public holiday applies in Uri, Schwyz and Ticino, not nationwide.
The custom travels more widely than the public holiday status.
Taking Monday, 5 January as leave creates a four-day break in Uri, Schwyz and Ticino; elsewhere Tuesday is a normal day.
Only Swiss National Day on 1 August has federal constitutional holiday status. Epiphany is governed by cantonal rules.
Cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Ticino; 6 January is not a canton-wide public holiday in the other 23 cantons.
Check the cantonal school calendar rather than inferring a day off from Epiphany.
Taking Monday off links 3 to 6 January only in Uri, Schwyz and Ticino; elsewhere Tuesday is a normal day.
Maximize your free time around Epiphany:
3 cantons
Cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Ticino; 6 January is not a canton-wide public holiday in the other 23 cantons.
Taking Monday, 5 January as leave creates a four-day break in Uri, Schwyz and Ticino; elsewhere Tuesday is a normal day.
The 6 January public-holiday rule does not set the school return date; use the relevant cantonal and school calendar.
A king cake or a local carol visit says nothing about opening hours; shops and services publish their own arrangements.
Cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Ticino; 6 January is not a canton-wide public holiday in the other 23 cantons.
Taking Monday, 5 January as leave creates a four-day break in Uri, Schwyz and Ticino; elsewhere Tuesday is a normal day.
The canton-wide employment effect is limited to Uri, Schwyz and Ticino; elsewhere, check the applicable local or workplace rule.
Sternsingen can be visible beyond the three cantons, but the custom does not extend the statutory day off.
Only Swiss National Day on 1 August has federal constitutional holiday status. Epiphany is governed by cantonal rules.
Cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Ticino; 6 January is not a canton-wide public holiday in the other 23 cantons.
Article 20a governs cantonal holidays; rosters and collective agreements govern workplace details.
Short, source-backed answers about Epiphany.
Uri, Schwyz and Ticino do; 6 January is not a canton-wide public holiday in the other 23 cantons.
No. The cake is widely known, while the statutory day off is limited to the stated cantons.
School calendars differ, so check the canton and school rather than deriving a return day from the holiday alone.
It is a local Three Kings custom; its presence does not change the workplace or shop rule.
Epiphany is the Christian feast of the manifestation of Christ. In Swiss public-holiday law, 6 January is canton-wide only in Uri, Schwyz and Ticino.
Star singers recall the Magi, while king cake lets many households choose a queen or king for the day. Church and household customs vary by region.
3 cantons
Cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Ticino; 6 January is not a canton-wide public holiday in the other 23 cantons.
Only Swiss National Day on 1 August has federal constitutional holiday status. Epiphany is governed by cantonal rules.
Opening hours and class dates are local questions.
In Uri, Schwyz and Ticino, 6 January may be a public holiday for work.
Schools, childcare or shops follow their own local calendars.
Check the location for each part of the day.
Even inside the statutory area, retailers and local services publish their own opening times. Public-holiday status is not a promise of one timetable for every provider.
A familiar custom travels farther than the statutory holiday scope.
A journey or commute between a non-holiday canton and Uri, Schwyz or Ticino can meet different work rules on the same date. The relevant place, not the name of the feast, controls the legal answer.
Church services and king-cake customs outside those three cantons do not make 6 January a canton-wide public holiday. Keep family, travel and employment planning on separate checks.
Check school return and local services before treating Epiphany as a day off.
For 6 January, expect a normal Tuesday outside Uri, Schwyz and Ticino.
In those cantons, local school timetables determine the school day.
Check the school return and local shop hours in Uri, Schwyz or Ticino before treating Epiphany as a day off.
Open the right next step for leave planning, school breaks, calendar weeks, subscriptions or related event context.