Swiss Federal Fast around the world in 2025

Swiss Federal Fast around the world in 2025
  How long until Swiss Federal Fast?
Swiss Federal Fast
  Dates of Swiss Federal Fast around the world
2026 SwitzerlandSep 20
Aargau Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Appenzell Ausserrhoden Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Appenzell Innerrhoden Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Basel-Landschaft Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Basel-Stadt Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Bern Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Fribourg Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Glarus Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Graubünden Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Jura Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Lucerne Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Neuchâtel Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Nidwalden Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Obwalden Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Schaffhausen Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Schwyz Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Solothurn Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
St. Gallen Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Thurgau Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Ticino Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Uri Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Valais Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Vaud Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
Zurich Sun, Sep 20Regional Holiday
2025 SwitzerlandSep 21
Aargau Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Appenzell Ausserrhoden Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Appenzell Innerrhoden Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Basel-Landschaft Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Basel-Stadt Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Bern Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Fribourg Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Glarus Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Graubünden Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Jura Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Lucerne Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Neuchâtel Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Nidwalden Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Obwalden Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Schaffhausen Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Schwyz Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Solothurn Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
St. Gallen Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Thurgau Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Ticino Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Uri Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Valais Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Vaud Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Zurich Sun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
2024 SwitzerlandSep 15
Aargau Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Appenzell Ausserrhoden Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Appenzell Innerrhoden Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Basel-Landschaft Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Basel-Stadt Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Bern Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Fribourg Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Glarus Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Graubünden Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Jura Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Lucerne Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Neuchâtel Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Nidwalden Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Obwalden Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Schaffhausen Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Schwyz Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Solothurn Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
St. Gallen Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Thurgau Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Ticino Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Uri Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Valais Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Vaud Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Zurich Sun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
2023 SwitzerlandSep 17
Aargau Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Appenzell Ausserrhoden Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Appenzell Innerrhoden Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Basel-Landschaft Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Basel-Stadt Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Bern Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Fribourg Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Glarus Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Graubünden Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Jura Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Lucerne Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Neuchâtel Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Nidwalden Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Obwalden Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Schaffhausen Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Schwyz Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Solothurn Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
St. Gallen Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Thurgau Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Ticino Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Uri Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Valais Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Vaud Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Zurich Sun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
2022 SwitzerlandSep 18
Aargau Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Appenzell Ausserrhoden Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Appenzell Innerrhoden Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Basel-Landschaft Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Basel-Stadt Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Bern Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Fribourg Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Glarus Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Graubünden Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Jura Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Lucerne Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Neuchâtel Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Nidwalden Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Obwalden Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Schaffhausen Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Schwyz Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Solothurn Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
St. Gallen Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Thurgau Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Ticino Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Uri Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Valais Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Vaud Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Zurich Sun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
  Summary

A Swiss government-arranged multi-denominational holiday celebrated by Christians and the Jewish community

When is Federal Fast?

Known in German as 'Eidgenssischer Dank-, Buss- und Bettag' (or 'Bettag'), The Federal Fast is a Swiss government-arranged multi-denominational holiday celebrated by all Christian Churches and the Jewish community.

Most of Switzerland celebrates the holiday on the third Sunday in September. The canton of Geneva celebrates instead the Jeûne with a holiday on the Thursday after the first Sunday in September.

In Bern, Neuchâtel and Vaud, the Monday after 3rd Sunday in September is a holiday known as Bettagsmontag.

The Federal Fast is a high holiday with a similar stature to Good Friday, Easter Sunday or Christmas. Up to the year 2000, for example, in Zurich, shooting exercises, sports and dance events of any kind were prohibited; exhibitions, museums and cinemas remained closed. Today, museums open but firing exercises and public meetings of a non-religious nature are still not allowed.

History of Federal

Thanksgiving days (Bettag) had been a tradition in Switzerland since the late medieval period and special days of thanksgiving had been decreed by the Federal Government, for example in 1572 in Zurich for persecuted Huguenots, in 1639, after several epidemics of plague in St. Gallen and in 1651 because of an earthquake in Zurich in the previous year.

The first Bettag across all reformed cantons took place after the 1619 Synod of Dordrecht, to give thanks for the unity of the Reformation. From 1639, following the assassination of Jörg Jenatsch, Bettag was repeated annually to mark the sparing of Switzerland from involvement in the Thirty Years' War.

In 1643 the Catholic cantons also adopted a common Bettag but not on the same day as the one observed by the reformed cantons.

September 1797 marked the first time that a Bettag was observed by the Catholic and Reformed cantons, following a mandate from the Central Government of the Helvetic Republic.

In 1832 it was decided that the third Sunday in September was to be the date of Federal Feast. The government would determine what each Bettag would give thanks for.

Towards the end of the 19th Century, the federal government took less of a role in the mandates, leaving the wording to the various churches involved.

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