According to Rick, September 20 is a Thanksgiving holiday in Switzerland. We'll be in Lucerne that weekend and the Monday afterwards. Can anyone tell me what to expect as far as closures? Will lifts be running on Mts. Rigi and Pilatus? Thank you!
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
That is false information. There is no such thing as a "Thanksgiving holiday" in Switzerland. AFAIK Thanksgiving is a purely North American event.
Public Holidays are localised in Switzerland. There are a number of national (Federal) holidays, plus many Kanton (state) and town ones.
1st August is Swiss National Day. Then there then are no more national holidays until Christmas.
A full list of Public Holidays is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Switzerland
It is a somewhat complicated list.
In general Public Holidays are the same as Sundays. Shops are closed, apart from those catering to tourists and travellers, that is restaurants, hotels, shops in rail stations and petrol (fuel) stations. Public Transport runs to a Sunday timetable.
If a Public Holiday falls on a weekend, there is no "carry forward" to Monday, the Monday is a normal working day. A Public Holiday on a Sunday makes no difference, as everything is closed anywhere.
Posted by
OP
America's Vancouver and the First
111 posts
Good to know! Interesting list of holidays...and how they are usually celebrated locally (specific cantons). I was only going on what Rick says on this same website, although I was sure that Switzerland doesn't celebrate a "Thanksgiving" the way Americans do.: "September 20: Federal Thanksgiving Day (Eidgenössischer Dank-, Buss- und Bettag / Jeûne fédéral, closures everywhere but Geneva; following Monday also holiday in and around Lausanne)"
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Since 20th September 2020 is a Sunday, it is all academic, Public Holidays are the same as Sundays.
And Luzern is not "in and around Lausanne".
On of the biggest divides is Catholic and Protestant. Back in the days when everybody in a village had the same religion, some Kantons were Catholic and some were Protestant, and that decides holidays.
The Catholics get more, for example 1st November is a holiday in Catholic Kantons, not in protestant ones.