Public holidays in Neuchâtel in 2026

Planning your 2026 long weekends or just curious why the lakefront fills with flags on certain days? Here’s a clear, complete guide to Neuchâtel’s public holidays in 2026, with the background behind the big ones, plus a cheat-sheet table you can save.

TL;DR: Neuchâtel has a mix of cantonal public holidays (legally “assimilated to Sunday”) and widely observed days when shops close (e.g., Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Federal Fast Monday). The official cantonal list and retail-closure rules are set by the Canton and published here.

The holidays at a glance (2026)

Legend

Official cantonal holiday = legally a day of rest (like Sunday)

Retail closed = not an “official holiday” in the strict legal sense, but shops are closed by cantonal rule

Not a public holiday = observed culturally, but work day for most

Date (2026)	Day	Holiday	Status in Neuchâtel	Notes
Jan 1	Thu	New Year’s Day	Official cantonal holiday	Year kicks off with a true public holiday.
Jan 2	Fri	Berchtold’s Day	Not a public holiday (in 2026)	In NE, Jan 2 is only a holiday when Jan 1 falls on a Sunday → not the case in 2026. Shops may open. Popular in many other cantons.
Mar 1	Sun	Republic Day (Independence of Neuchâtel)	Official cantonal holiday	Marks the 1848 revolution and break from Prussian rule — see story below.
Apr 3	Fri	Good Friday	Official cantonal holiday	Long Easter weekend begins. (Observed in most cantons.)
Apr 6	Mon	Easter Monday	Retail closed	Shops closed across NE, though it’s not on the “official holiday” list.
May 1	Fri	Labour Day	Official cantonal holiday	Workers’ rights and springtime rallies.
May 14	Thu	Ascension Day	Official cantonal holiday	Many stretch this into a long weekend.
May 25	Mon	Whit Monday (Pentecost Monday)	Retail closed	Shops closed by cantonal rule.
Aug 1	Sat	Swiss National Day	Official cantonal holiday	Fireworks, bonfires, and flag bunting along the lake.
Sep 20	Sun	Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance and Prayer (Jeûne fédéral)	Observed Sunday	National observance (Sunday). Geneva holds a different fast day; see note.
Sep 21	Mon	Bettagsmontag (Monday after Federal Fast)	Retail closed	Shops are closed in Neuchâtel; widely treated as a day off.
Dec 25	Fri	Christmas Day	Official cantonal holiday	Joyeux Noël! 🎄

Dates and weekday mapping cross-checked with the Canton’s official page and reputable Swiss holiday calendars.

The stories behind Neuchâtel’s “big” days 🥳📜

Republic Day — March 1 (cantonal holiday)

What happened?
On 1 March 1848, the people of Neuchâtel proclaimed the Republic, ending centuries of princely/Prussian ties. The “Révolution neuchâteloise” is commemorated every year as the canton’s own independence day — uniquely Neuchâtelois. Expect flags, civic ceremonies, and, in some years, a popular “grande marche.”

Federal Fast & Bettagsmontag — third Sunday in September + the Monday after

Jeûne fédéral is a nationwide day of thanksgiving and reflection going back to early Swiss history. While the fast day itself is on Sunday (in 2026, 20 September), Neuchâtel closes shops on the Monday after (Bettagsmontag, 21 September 2026), creating a beloved late-summer long weekend. (Fun federalism fact: Geneva keeps its own Jeûne genevois on a Thursday in early September, instead of the national Sunday.)

Labour Day — May 1

Marking workers’ rights and solidarity, May Day is an official cantonal holiday in Neuchâtel (not universal across Switzerland). Expect rallies, speeches, and spring vibes 🌷.

What’s not a Neuchâtel public holiday

(but your friends elsewhere might have it) 🧭

Switzerland’s cantons choose their own days, so you’ll often hear about holidays that don’t apply in Neuchâtel:

Berchtold’s Day (Jan 2) — common in many German-speaking cantons (and a few French-speaking ones), but in NE it only counts when Jan 1 is a Sunday → not in 2026.
Epiphany (Jan 6), St Joseph (Mar 19), Corpus Christi (June), Assumption (Aug 15), All Saints (Nov 1), Immaculate Conception (Dec 8) — widely Catholic observances in other cantons, not public holidays in Neuchâtel. (Check local rules if you travel or work cross-canton.)
Jeûne genevois — Geneva’s separate fast day on a Thursday in early September; Neuchâtel instead closes shops the Monday after the national Federal Fast Sunday.

FAQs & planning tips 🧳

Are Easter Monday and Whit Monday “real” holidays❓

In the strict legal list, no. But in practice NE closes shops on those Mondays, giving many people the day off. Schools and public services may also follow special schedules. Always check your employer or school calendar.

Is the Friday after Ascension a holiday❓

It’s a day off for the cantonal administration (and many employers follow suit), but it’s not listed as an official cantonal public holiday.

Do dates change year-to-year❓

Fixed-date holidays (e.g., Mar 1, May 1, Aug 1, Dec 25) stay put. Movable feasts (Easter, Ascension, Pentecost) shift with the liturgical calendar; the 2026 dates are: Good Friday (Apr 3), Easter Monday (Apr 6), Ascension (May 14), Whit Monday (May 25).

Copy-paste mini calendar for 2026 📎

Neuchâtel 2026 (public holidays & shop-closure days)
- Thu 01 Jan 2026 – New Year’s Day [official holiday]
- Fri 02 Jan 2026 – Berchtold’s Day [not a holiday in NE in 2026]
- Sun 01 Mar 2026 – Republic Day [official holiday]
- Fri 03 Apr 2026 – Good Friday [official holiday]
- Mon 06 Apr 2026 – Easter Monday [shops closed]
- Fri 01 May 2026 – Labour Day [official holiday]
- Thu 14 May 2026 – Ascension [official holiday]
- Mon 25 May 2026 – Whit Monday [shops closed]
- Sat 01 Aug 2026 – Swiss National Day [official holiday]
- Sun 20 Sep 2026 – Federal Fast [national observance]
- Mon 21 Sep 2026 – Bettagsmontag [shops closed in NE]
- Fri 25 Dec 2026 – Christmas Day [official holiday]