School Holidays in Switzerland 2024-2025

Get ready to make the most of the upcoming school year in Switzerland! In this academic year, Swiss students have between 57 to 75 days of holidays, depending on the canton and the specific school calendar. Whether you're planning a family getaway, a cozy staycation, or just some quality downtime, planning the holidays is important and this guide will help you do exactly that. So let's dive into the key school holiday dates in the 2024/25 academic year!

Overview of School Holidays in Switzerland (2024-2025)

Switzerland is a confederation made up of 26 cantons. Each canton has a high degree of autonomy and significant authority to make their own laws, including how many public holidays and school holidays there are in a year. Therefore, the holidays tend to vary greatly from one canton to another.

However, cantons often cooperate with each other to negotiate a general calendar framework, so that popular holiday destinations in Switzerland would not be overcrowded. Here’s an overview of the major public and school holiday dates in 2024-2025!

Both state and international schools typically follow the same holiday dates with minor variations. For the specific calendar of your child's school, please check the official academic calendar published by your canton, such as the vacances scolaires 2024-2025 issued by the Department of Public Instruction, Training, and Youth (DIP) in Geneva and schulferien 2024/25 issued by Stadt Zürich.

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List of Public Holidays in Switzerland 2024-2025

The public holidays in Switzerland is highly diverse, and there are only a few national holidays that are observed across the entire country, such as New Year's Day (January 1) and Swiss National Day (August 1). Others are widely observed but may not be recognised in every canton. Here’s a list of the major public holidays observed across most regions:

1. New Year's Day: January 1, 2025 (Wednesday). This holiday is observed in all cantons, so start the year with joy and festivities with the rest of the country!
2. Good Friday: April 18, 2025 (Friday). Observed in all cantons except Ticino and Valais. This is a significant holiday in Switzerland, marking the beginning of the Easter weekend.
3. Easter Monday: April 21, 2025 (Monday). After a weekend of Easter celebrations, students in all cantonsexcept Valais get an extra day to enjoy with family and friends.
4. Labor Day: May 1, 2025 (Thursday). A day dedicated to workers observed mainly in urban cantons, including Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Jura, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Schaffhausen, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino and Zurich.
5. Ascension Day: May 29, 2025 (Thursday). Forty days after Easter, this holiday often comes with a "bridge day" off on Friday in all cantons.
6. Whit Monday: June 9, 2025 (Monday). Following Pentecost, Whit Monday provides another day for students in all cantons except Neuchâtel, Solothurn, Valais and Zug to unwind as summer approaches.
7. Swiss National Day: August 1, 2025 (Friday). Celebrate Switzerland’s founding with fireworks, parades, and a day off school. Observed in all cantons.
8. Christmas Day: December 25, 2024 (Wednesday) The festive season comes with a holiday for all cantons.
9. St. Stephen's Day: December 26, 2024 (Thursday). Another day to bask in the festive glow and continue the Christmas celebrations except for Geneva, Jura, Valais, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Solothurn, and Zug.

On public holidays, all public primary and secondary schools are closed. While private and international schools have more flexibility, they usually align with the public holiday schedule and close as well.

List of Public and Private School Term Breaks in Switzerland 2024-2025

The Swiss Education System is highly decentralised, therefore the school calendar largely depends on the canton’s decision. Each canton has its own Department of Education (or equivalent institution) which sets the school calendar, including the dates for the start and end of the school year, as well as the term breaks and holidays. The federal government in Switzerland only provides general frameworks on education but has a limited role in setting school calendars.

Similar to other European countries, Switzerland also adopts a staggered holiday system where school holidays are spread out across different cantons to manage tourist flows, particularly to ski resorts during winter holidays. Compared to the French zoning system, however, the Swiss system relies more on informal, inter-cantonal cooperation. Therefore, the actual school term break and holiday periods depend largely on your canton’s discretion!

Although cantons have autonomy over their education systems, there is often coordination among them, especially in regions where people commute across cantonal borders. At the same time, most cantons set the minimum number of instructional days between 180 and 200 days per academic year. Therefore, generally, the school calendar follows a largely similar pattern and is divided into several key breaks:

1. Autumn Break: October 7 - October 18, 2024. This two-week break is the perfect time to enjoy the vibrant Swiss autumn, whether hiking in the mountains or exploring local traditions. However, some cantons like Geneva typically have shorter breaks and some others have different dates. For example, the break in Geneva lasts from October 21 to October 25, 2024, and in Zurich the break starts in October 7 and lasts for two weeks.
2. Christmas Break: December 23, 2024 - January 3, 2025. A time of joy and celebration, the Christmas break allows families to come together and enjoy the festive season. This Christmas break period is generally aligned across cantons.
3. Winter Break: February 10 - February 21, 2025. Also called ‘Sports Holidays’, this break is typically used for hitting the ski slopes in Switzerland’s famous snowy landscapes. This holiday period is typically staggered, with cantons like Geneva taking a later and shorter break this year (February 24, 2025 - February 28, 2025) and cantons like Zurich taking an earlier and longer one (February 10 - February 21, 2025).
4. Spring Break: April 14 - April 25, 2025. As the days get longer and warmer, the spring break is a great opportunity to enjoy the blooming flowers and outdoor activities. Again, there is regional variations where, for example, Geneva takes a later break from April 18 to May 2.
5. Summer Break: July 7 - August 15, 2025. The long summer break is the highlight of the school year, offering a perfect chance for extended travel, adventures, or just some well-deserved rest. For Geneva, summer break starts early on June 30 and lasts through August 15, while Zurich starts its break two weeks later on July 14.

Variations Based on Types of Schools

Switzerland IB tutors note that it is known for being the place where the IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum was established and for housing some of the Best IB Schools in the world. In Switzerland, school calendar can vary between public, private, and international schools, but both state and international schools typically follow the same holiday dates, with minor variations for summer and Christmas breaks. Here’s a breakdown of how these calendars differ:

Public Schools

• Cantonal Control: Public schools follow the school calendar set by the cantonal education authorities. This means that the start and end dates of the school year, term breaks, and holidays are aligned with the local canton’s regulations. The individual cantons play a crucial role in setting these academic calendars, ensuring that both state and private schools generally adhere to these dates.
• Standard Holidays: Public schools observe all local and national public holidays specific to their canton. They also have consistent term breaks (autumn, Christmas, winter, spring, and summer) as determined by the canton. Public schools typically follow the same holiday dates, with minor variations for summer and Christmas breaks.
• Uniformity: Because the calendar is set by the canton, all public schools within a canton typically have the same holiday schedule, which fosters consistency for families with children in different schools.

Private Schools

• More Flexibility: Private schools have more autonomy and can set their own school calendars, although they often still align with the local canton’s calendar to some extent. In Switzerland, school holiday dates are determined by the individual cantons, and private schools generally follow these dates. This flexibility allows them to incorporate additional holidays or breaks.
• Extended Breaks: Some private schools may offer longer breaks during certain times of the year, such as longer winter or summer holidays.
• Cultural Considerations: Depending on the school’s orientation (e.g., religious affiliation), private schools might observe additional religious or cultural holidays that are not recognized by public schools.
• Varied Start and End Dates: The academic year in private schools may start and end on different dates compared to public schools, particularly if the school follows a different curriculum (e.g., a British or American school calendar). However, they often align with the same holiday dates as public schools for major breaks like summer and Christmas.

International Schools

• Global Calendars: International schools often follow the academic calendars of other countries, such as the UK, the US, or the IB system. This can mean different term dates and holiday periods compared to local schools. However, these schools generally align with the same holiday dates as public schools for major breaks like summer and Christmas.
• Different Start and End Dates: The school year may start in late August or early September, similar to public schools, but the end date might differ, often finishing in June to align with the Northern Hemisphere school year.
• Additional Holidays: International schools may observe holidays from the home countries of many of their students, such as Thanksgiving (in American schools) or national holidays from other countries.
• Longer Summer Breaks: Some international schools may offer longer summer breaks to accommodate expatriate families who travel home for extended periods.
• Diverse Student Body: Due to the international nature of the student body, these schools may have more varied holiday schedules to accommodate different cultural and religious practices.

Each type of school adjusts its calendar to best suit the needs of its students, so it’s always important for parents to check the specific calendar of their child’s school for exact dates and breaks. In Switzerland, school holiday dates are determined by the individual cantons, and both state and private schools generally align with these dates, with potential variations for international schools based on the canton's regulations.

List of Additional School Holidays in Switzerland 2024-2025

In addition to the standard public holidays and term breaks in Switzerland for the 2024-2025 academic year, there are several additional school holidays that might be observed depending on the canton or specific region. These holidays are often tied to local traditions, cultural events, or religious observances. Here are some examples:

1. Fasnacht (Carnival)

• Dates: February 2025 (exact dates vary by region)
• Regions: Various cantons, particularly Basel-Stadt, Lucerne, Solothurn, Schwyz, Uri, Zug, Aargau, Fribourg, and parts of St. Gallen.
• Details: Fasnacht is a significant cultural event in many Swiss regions, celebrated with parades, costumes, and festivities. Schools in these areas often close for a few days during the Fasnacht celebrations.

2. Knabenschiessen

• Date: September 9, 2024 (Monday)
• Region: Zurich city
• Details: Knabenschiessen is a traditional shooting contest for young people in Zurich, celebrated with a public holiday in Zurich city. Schools in Zurich may close for this event.

3. Berchtoldstag

• Date: January 2, 2025 (Thursday)
• Regions: Observed in parts of the cantons of Zurich, Aargau, Thurgau, and some other German-speaking cantons.
• Details: Berchtoldstag is a traditional holiday celebrated in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland. In some areas, schools might close on this day, though it is not universally observed across all cantons.

4. Sechseläuten

• Date: April 14, 2025 (Monday)
• Region: Zurich city
• Details: Sechseläuten is a spring festival in Zurich, celebrated with the burning of the "Böögg" and various parades. Schools in Zurich city typically close for the afternoon to allow participation in the festivities. Furthermore, a city’s holidays may be different from its canton’s since a city can celebrate a tradition that is specific to that city. For example, the city of Zurich celebrates Sechseläuten, a spring festival that is a public holiday in the city but not in the rest of the canton, on Monday, April 14, 2025. Schools and businesses in Zurich city may close for this event.

5. Jeûne genevois

• Date: September 5, 2024 (Thursday)
• Region: Geneva
• Details: This is a public holiday unique to the canton of Geneva, where schools and many businesses close for the day.

6. Lundi du Jeûne (Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance, and Prayer)

• Date: September 16, 2024 (Monday)
• Regions: Primarily observed in the canton of Vaud.
• Details: This holiday is celebrated mainly in Vaud and involves family gatherings and religious observances. Schools in Vaud may close for this day.

7. Escalade

• Date: December 12-13, 2024 (Friday-Saturday)
• Region: Geneva
• Details: L'Escalade commemorates the defeat of the surprise attack on Geneva by the Duke of Savoy in 1602. While not an official public holiday, many schools in Geneva may have activities related to this event, and some may close for a half-day or more, especially on December 12.

These additional holidays reflect the rich cultural diversity of Switzerland, with each canton or region observing unique local traditions. It’s always best to check with the specific school or cantonal education department for the most accurate and detailed information regarding school closures on these days.

List of School Holiday Activities

School holidays are a perfect time for students to relax, explore new interests, and even catch up on academics. Here are five great activities to consider, complete with links to help you get started:

• Explore Switzerland’s Natural Wonders: Take advantage of the beautiful Swiss landscapes by hiking, skiing, or exploring the many national parks. These activities are perfect for students to stay active and appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds them. Check out MySwitzerland for ideas on outdoor adventures and nature trips.
• Private Tutoring: Strengthen your academic skills with personalized learning sessions. Whether you’re preparing for exams or need help with specific subjects, an IB tutor in Switzerland can provide the tailored support you need. With some of the Best Tutoring Companies in Switzerland, there are plenty options to choose from, whichever curriculum you choose.
• Attend Educational Workshops: Participate in workshops or summer camps that focus on creative arts, science, or technology. These programs often complement what students learn in the classroom and provide an exciting way to deepen their knowledge outside the traditional school setting, which is a hallmark of the education system in Switzerland.
• Volunteer for Community Service: Engage in community service projects. Volunteering not only helps others but also builds important life skills and a sense of responsibility. Many of the best international schools in Switzerland encourage students to be involved in their communities, making it a great way to contribute meaningfully during the holidays. Check out opportunities on Swiss Volunteers.
• Join a Language Exchange Program: Switzerland is a multilingual country, so the holidays are an ideal time to practice or learn a new language. Joining a language exchange program can help students enhance their language skills, which is highly valued in the education system in Switzerland. You can find language exchange opportunities on platforms like Conversation Exchange.

As an IB tutor in Geneva observed,

“Holidays are essential for students to recharge and process what they’ve learned. This break from routine can lead to better focus, creativity, and academic performance when they return.”

Planning activities during the long summer holiday can be particularly beneficial. The extended break provides ample time for families to arrange their schedules and take advantage of the time off with children, making it an ideal period for engaging in these enriching activities.

Conclusion

With a well-structured calendar of holidays and breaks, the 2024-2025 school year in Switzerland promises plenty of opportunities for rest, exploration, and quality time with loved ones. Planning for the school year also means considering holiday time, especially for childcare arrangements during school holidays. Whether you’re a student, parent, or teacher, these dates are your roadmap to planning a fulfilling and balanced year. So, mark your calendars, start planning those trips, and get ready to make the most of every break!