Swiss Federal Fast in Switzerland in 2024

Swiss Federal Fast in Switzerland in 2024
  How long until Swiss Federal Fast?
Swiss Federal Fast
  Dates of Swiss Federal Fast in Switzerland
2025 Sep 21
AargauSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Appenzell AusserrhodenSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Appenzell InnerrhodenSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Basel-LandschaftSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
Basel-StadtSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
BernSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
FribourgSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
GlarusSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
GraubündenSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
JuraSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
LucerneSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
NeuchâtelSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
NidwaldenSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
ObwaldenSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
SchaffhausenSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
SchwyzSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
SolothurnSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
St. GallenSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
ThurgauSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
TicinoSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
UriSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
ValaisSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
VaudSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
ZurichSun, Sep 21Regional Holiday
2024 Sep 15
AargauSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Appenzell AusserrhodenSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Appenzell InnerrhodenSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Basel-LandschaftSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
Basel-StadtSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
BernSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
FribourgSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
GlarusSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
GraubündenSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
JuraSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
LucerneSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
NeuchâtelSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
NidwaldenSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
ObwaldenSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
SchaffhausenSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
SchwyzSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
SolothurnSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
St. GallenSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
ThurgauSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
TicinoSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
UriSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
ValaisSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
VaudSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
ZurichSun, Sep 15Regional Holiday
2023 Sep 17
AargauSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Appenzell AusserrhodenSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Appenzell InnerrhodenSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Basel-LandschaftSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
Basel-StadtSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
BernSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
FribourgSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
GlarusSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
GraubündenSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
JuraSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
LucerneSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
NeuchâtelSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
NidwaldenSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
ObwaldenSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
SchaffhausenSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
SchwyzSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
SolothurnSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
St. GallenSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
ThurgauSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
TicinoSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
UriSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
ValaisSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
VaudSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
ZurichSun, Sep 17Regional Holiday
2022 Sep 18
AargauSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Appenzell AusserrhodenSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Appenzell InnerrhodenSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Basel-LandschaftSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
Basel-StadtSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
BernSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
FribourgSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
GlarusSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
GraubündenSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
JuraSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
LucerneSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
NeuchâtelSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
NidwaldenSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
ObwaldenSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
SchaffhausenSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
SchwyzSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
SolothurnSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
St. GallenSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
ThurgauSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
TicinoSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
UriSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
ValaisSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
VaudSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
ZurichSun, Sep 18Regional Holiday
2021 Sep 19
AargauSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
Appenzell AusserrhodenSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
Appenzell InnerrhodenSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
Basel-LandschaftSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
Basel-StadtSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
BernSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
FribourgSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
GlarusSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
GraubündenSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
JuraSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
LucerneSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
NeuchâtelSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
NidwaldenSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
ObwaldenSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
SchaffhausenSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
SchwyzSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
SolothurnSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
St. GallenSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
ThurgauSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
TicinoSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
UriSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
ValaisSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
VaudSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
ZurichSun, Sep 19Regional Holiday
  Summary

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

  Which regions observe Swiss Federal Fast in 2024?
National Holiday Regional Holiday Not a public holiday Govt Holiday

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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