Holiday Alert: Tomorrow's Plans In Austria

If you're wondering whether tomorrow is a holiday in Austria, you're in luck! While there are no federal holidays observed across the country, each province has a national holiday for their patron saint that is only celebrated within their region. So, depending on where you are in Austria, you may get to enjoy a day off. For example, if you're in Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol or Vorarlberg, you can look forward to celebrating Saint Joseph's Day. On the other hand, if you're in Lower Austria or Vienna, you'll be honouring Saint Leopold. These regional holidays ensure that locals and visitors alike can partake in the unique cultural offerings of each area. So, while the whole of Austria won't be celebrating together, certain regions will be buzzing with festive cheer!

Upcoming public holidays in Austria

As of my last update in January 2025, I can't tell you if tomorrow is a holiday in Austria. However, I can tell you about some upcoming public holidays in Austria.

Austria has several public holidays throughout the year, which are regulated by the Federal Act Regulating Weekly Rest Periods and Public Holidays of 2010. This Act specifies that employers are prohibited from requiring employees to work on these days and that employees who choose to work are entitled to additional holiday pay.

• Assumption of the Virgin Mary: This holiday is celebrated in Austria and other Catholic countries. It falls on the 15th of August and commemorates the belief in the bodily uptake of the Virgin Mary into Heaven.
• Immaculate Conception Day: Celebrated on the 8th of December, this day is a public holiday in Austria. It is one of the most important feast days in the Catholic Church, celebrating the conception of Mary without original sin.
• Heilige Drei Könige: This holiday is celebrated 39 days after Easter Sunday and commemorates the three wise men's visit to baby Jesus.
• Day of the Declaration of Neutrality: This holiday celebrates Austria's declaration of neutrality, which was established after World War II.

In addition to these federal holidays, each province in Austria also has a national holiday for their patron saint, which is only celebrated within that specific province. These holidays include:

• Tag der Volksabstimmung: Celebrated in Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg.
• Unknown holiday: Observed in Lower Austria and Vienna.

Austria's national holiday

Tomorrow is not a national holiday in Austria. However, the country does observe several public holidays throughout the year.

Austria's National Day falls on the Sunday of the 26th of October. This day celebrates the political advancements made in Austria after World War II. It has been observed since the 1960s, with national museums opening their doors for free and the Chancellor delivering an annual address.

Austria has 13 public holidays observed nationwide each year. These include religious holidays, such as Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Corpus Christi, and Immaculate Conception. Other religious holidays like Good Friday are not officially recognised as public holidays, except for the Protestant religion, which is guaranteed this day off.

The country also celebrates secular holidays like Austrian State Holiday, National Day, and All Saints' Day. Additionally, each province has a national holiday for their patron saint, recognised only within their respective province.

Public holidays are regulated by the Federal Act Regulating Weekly Rest Periods and Public Holidays of 2010, which includes specific provisions like prohibiting employers from requiring employees to work on the 8th of December.

Paid holidays in Austria

In Austria, public holidays are regulated by the Federal Act Regulating Weekly Rest Periods and Public Holidays of 2010. This Act specifies that employees are entitled to receive holiday pay for any national holiday that occurs on a regular working day. National holidays that occur on typical days of rest, such as Sundays, are not paid holidays.

Each province in Austria has a national holiday for their patron saint that is only celebrated within their province. These are national paid holidays but are only recognised in their specific area. Additionally, the Protestant religion is guaranteed Good Friday as a national holiday.

In terms of annual leave, employees in Austria are entitled to a minimum of 20 days of paid vacation. Companies may offer more time contractually, and it is up to the company to decide whether public holidays are counted as part of the minimum leave.

For example, VMware, a company with employees in Austria, provides all regular employees with 25 paid working days per calendar year. These days can be carried forward and used within two years, after which any unused days are paid out.

Religious holidays in Austria

As a Catholic country, Austria observes a series of Christian holidays. However, it's important to note that while some of these days are public holidays, they are not necessarily non-working days. For example, Good Friday and New Year's Eve are public holidays, but businesses do not have to close during these days under the Working Hours Act.

Some of the religious holidays in Austria include:

• Easter Monday, which falls on the day after Easter Sunday and commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• Maundy Thursday, which is celebrated three days before Easter, and Good Friday, which is two days before Easter. These days are often celebrated as holidays, but only Good Friday is a guaranteed national holiday for the Protestant religion.
• Ascension Day, which falls on the 40th day after Easter and commemorates Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven.
• Whit Monday, also known as Pentecost Monday, which commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to the Apostles.
• Corpus Christi Day, a Catholic liturgical solemnity celebrating the real presence of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
• Assumption Day, which is the day Mother Mary ascended to heaven.
• All Saints' Day, a holiday that remembers all Christian saints.
• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which are both public holidays in Austria. Christmas Day is celebrated as a special day for all Christians in the country.
• Heilige Drei Könige, which falls 39 days after Easter Sunday.
• The Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, celebrated 49 and 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ.
• Immaculate Conception, recognised in all states as a bank holiday but not a federal public holiday.

Additionally, each province in Austria has a national holiday for its patron saint, which is only celebrated within that province. These are national paid holidays, but they are only recognised in their specific region.

Austrian school holidays

As of January 2025, there are no upcoming public holidays in Austria. However, there are several school holidays throughout the year that students and their families can look forward to.

In Austria, school holidays are generally set by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science, and Research. While the main holidays usually remain the same across the country, each of Austria's nine regions can change these schedules slightly to account for local holidays or requirements.

The school year in Austria typically runs from mid-September to early July, similar to the rest of Europe. During this period, students can expect a two-week holiday over the Christmas period, a week off for Easter, and about two months off during the summer break. There are also several other breaks throughout the year, including autumn break at the end of October and a term break in February, with the exact dates varying by region.

• 28–31 October 2024
• 23 December 2024 – 6 January 2025
• Lower Austria and Vienna: 3–5 February 2025
• Burgenland, Carinthia, Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg: 10–15 February 2025
• Upper Austria and Styria: 17–22 February 2025
• Burgenland, Lower Austria, and Vienna: 28 June – 31 August 2025
• Carinthia, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg: 5 July – 7 September 2025

It's worth noting that private and international schools in Austria may have different holiday schedules than state-run public schools, so it's always a good idea to check the specific school's website for their vacation calendar.

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