Advent wreath at a Christmas market before an illuminated church

Immaculate Conception

Cantonal holiday 9 cantons + local areas Falls on: Tuesday 1 leave day = 4 days

Immaculate Conception falls on Tuesday, 8 December in 2026. It applies canton-wide in nine cantons and in specifically defined areas of Fribourg and Aargau.

Author
Ferien-Kalender.ch editorial team
Last checked
Source basis
official sources and editorial review
Immaculate Conception 2026

Date, local scope and immediate effect

The designated municipalities and districts determine the scope.

Cantonal holiday. Immaculate Conception falls on Tuesday, 8 December 2026. Canton-wide in Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Zug, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Ticino and Valais. In Fribourg it applies in the Catholic part, meaning outside Courgevaux, Fräschels, Greng, Kerzers, Meyriez, Muntelier, Murten, Ried bei Kerzers, Ulmiz, Mont-Vully, Flamatt and Sensebrügg. In Aargau it applies in the districts of Laufenburg and Muri, and in Hellikon, Mumpf, Obermumpf, Schupfart, Stein and Wegenstetten.

Taking Monday, 7 December as leave creates a four-day break only within the actual holiday area; elsewhere Tuesday is a normal working day.

Only Swiss National Day on 1 August has federal constitutional holiday status. Immaculate Conception is governed at cantonal, district or municipal level.

Date
Tuesday
Scope
9 cantons + local areas
Fribourg and Aargau only in the specified areas
Planning
1 leave day = 4 days
5 December 2026 to 8 December 2026
1 leave day = 4 days

Use Monday leave only after the scope check

The 5 to 8 December break requires Monday leave and a location in one of the nine cantons or listed local areas.

Take 7 December as leave only in the verified scope. The 5 to 8 December break requires Monday leave and a location in one of the nine cantons or listed local areas.

Outside the verified holiday area, Tuesday remains an ordinary working day. School closure, childcare and operator hours still need their own local confirmation.

Leave block
5 December 2026 to 8 December 2026
One Monday leave day, only where 8 December applies

Assumption: Monday-Friday working week.

Workplace applicability is not confirmed; no leave days are preselected. Local or partial employment entitlement for Immaculate Conception (2026-12-08) at the workplace in Switzerland must be confirmed with the municipality and employer.

Smart Vacation Planner

Maximize your free time around Immaculate Conception:

Go to Holiday Planner
Local areas

Match Advent plans to the exact locality

A canton label may be too broad for 8 December.

People looking at an illuminated Advent window in the snow
Retail, markets, schools and services publish their own schedules after the statutory locality is established.

For employees, the public-holiday answer follows the workplace. A home canton or an Advent opening schedule does not create a general entitlement to time off elsewhere.

Fribourg requires the Catholic-part test; Aargau requires the listed district or municipality test.

The conception of Mary

What Immaculate Conception means

Religious observance and statutory scope answer different questions.

In Catholic teaching, the Immaculate Conception concerns Mary being conceived free from original sin. The feast is not about the conception of Jesus.

A Marian winter feast

Services and Marian devotions mark 8 December in Catholic areas. Its legal public-holiday effect nevertheless remains cantonal and, in places, local.

Services and devotions do not widen the cantonal, district or municipal holiday area.

Distinction
The conception of Mary
Not the conception of Jesus

Sources & further reading

  1. SECO: leisure and public holidays : Federal guidance distinguishing the nationwide holiday from cantonal holidays.
  2. Swiss Labour Act Art. 20a : Federal labour rule for canton-designated holidays.
  3. Federal Constitution Art. 110 : constitutional status of Swiss National Day.
  4. Historical federal compilation (2011) : Historical context only; not current scope authority.
  5. EDK school holidays : Cantonal school-holiday source.
  6. Aargau Employment Law § 6 : current official district and municipality scope.
  7. Fribourg public holidays : current official Catholic and Reformed municipality scope.
  8. Canton of Uri: public holidays 2026 : current official cantonal list for 2026.
  9. Canton of Schwyz: public holidays 2026 : current official cantonal and local holiday list for 2026.
  10. Nidwalden public-rest-day law : current official cantonal law.
  11. Canton of Ticino: public holidays 2026 : current official cantonal list for 2026.
  12. Valais public-holiday law : current official cantonal law.
  13. Appenzell Innerrhoden public-rest-day rules : Cantonal source for the stated inner-district scope.
  14. Obwalden public-rest-day law : current official cantonal law.
  15. Canton of Lucerne: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  16. Canton of Uri: Public Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  17. Canton of Zug: Rest Days Act : Official source for the stated scope.
  18. Appenzell Innerrhoden: public holidays 2026 : Official source for the stated scope.
Continue planning

Turn the holiday into a concrete plan

Open the relevant calendar or tool below.

Smart holiday planner Maximize your time off with smart planning. Calendar weeks Perfect for project management and quarter planning. School holidays Align your plans with family and school dates. Calendar subscription Sync dates directly to your favorite calendar app. Data export Download dates for Excel and business systems. Events View related non-public planning dates.