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linkSwitzerland (Valais) : public and bank holidays, closure of banks, stock exchanges, school vacations

Switzerland (Valais) : complete schedule of public and bank holidays, closure of banks and stock exchanges, school vacations, trade fairs, cultural and sporting events, festivals, carnivals, election during the next 3 months

  • Currency: Franc (CHF)
  • For local celebrations, please check the related canton entry.
    Internet domain: .ch - Telephone code: +41 - International dialing code: 00 - GMT offset: +1 (DST: yes)
    European Truck Ban: 22:00 to 05:00 week nights, 00:00 to 24:00 on Sundays, public holidays & vacations departures/returns
  • Weekend: Saturday & Sunday
  • IF YOU NEED TRANSLATION INTO THIS COUNTRY's LANGUAGE(S): German (90 million speakers in 5 countries), French (150 million speakers in 30 countries), Italian (65 million speakers in 4 countries), vernaculars, Romanche (0.6 million speakers) ...
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  • DateNameKindMore
    Thursday november 30, 2023Fall holiday (end)School holidays
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    Monday december 25, 2023Christmas DayCatholic or protestant
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    Tuesday december 26, 2023St Stephen's DayCatholic or protestant
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    Monday january 1, 2024New Year's DaySecular holiday
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    Tuesday january 2, 2024BerchtoldstagSecular holiday
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    Monday january 8, 2024Christmas holiday (end)School holidays
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    Sunday february 4, 2024Mask festivalEvents, celebrations...
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    Friday february 23, 2024Sports holiday (beginning)School holidays
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    Tuesday march 19, 2024St Joseph's DayCatholic or protestant
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    Thursday march 28, 2024Spring holiday (beginning)School holidays
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    Friday march 29, 2024Good FridayCatholic or protestant
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    Fall holiday (end)

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    Thursday november 30, 2023
    School holidays : one week earlier in Oberwallis (Haut-Valais)

    Christmas Day

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    Monday december 25, 2023
    Catholic or protestant : Since pre-historic times in Europe, festivities (bonfires, offrerings) were marking the beginning of longer hours of daylight with fires and ritual. The Roman festival of Saturnalia lasted several days in December (gambling and offerings). Germanic tribes also celebrated mid-winter (drinking and rituals). The Bulgarian (with Koleduvane) and the Polish (with Gwiazdka) perpetuate this tradition. Jesus of Nazareth was probably born in springtime (Reformists favour autumn). But in the 4th century, December 25th was chosen for the celebration of his birth by Pope Julius I (Bishop Liberus is also mentioned in 354 A.D.). Thus, a Christian element was introduced in the long-established mid-winter festivals. Before 1582, the Papal States and other Italian city states celebrated New Year’s Day on Christmas Day

    St Stephen's Day

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    Tuesday december 26, 2023
    Catholic or protestant : Christian remembrance of St Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

    New Year's Day

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    Monday january 1, 2024
    Secular holiday : The world's most widely celebrated holiday, New Years was set on January 1 by Julius Caesar because that was the date the Roman consuls took over their duties. Paid holiday when falling on Saturday or Sunday

    Berchtoldstag

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    Tuesday january 2, 2024
    Secular holiday : A derivation of Middle High German berhttac or berhteltac, which translated the Greek epiphanias

    Christmas holiday (end)

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    Monday january 8, 2024
    School holidays : Www.vs.ch
    official Canton calendar
    study programs are not aligned with the requirements of the Bologna Process
    PISA ranking (average 493): 506
    Average class size: less than 20
    Schooling is mandatory till age 16
    Usually no school on Saturday
    No uniform required

    We carry confirmed dates till Sep 2025; Further dates are projected dates based on previous years

    Please note that authorities may take last-minute decisions; please double-check if this information is vital to you
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    Mask festival

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    Sunday february 4, 2024
    Culture : Tschäggättä: The origins of this tradition are unclear and several hypotheses are formulated: legends relating to brigands disguised as monsters, protest against the Valais policy in 1550 with disguises, temporary symbol of the return of the dead among the living or fight against the bad ones minds. We sometimes meet the term Roitschäggätta, King meaning smoke in the local dialect, due to the dark color of the masks which are hung in a fireplace to blacken them. [Wikipedia]

    Sports holiday (beginning)

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    Friday february 23, 2024
    School holidays :

    St Joseph's Day

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    Tuesday march 19, 2024
    Catholic or protestant :

    Spring holiday (beginning)

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    Thursday march 28, 2024
    School holidays : In Romand only

    Good Friday

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    Friday march 29, 2024
    Catholic or protestant : The First Council of Nicaea (a gathering of bishops in the early days of Christianity) wanted to find a day to commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. This commemoration had to be linked to Jewish holiday traditions, since the last supper of Christ was believed to be a Jewish Passover meal. But the Jewish calendar is based on lunar and solar cycles, so the Easter celebration had to follow the same calendar.