Immaculate Conception

Regional public holiday in Switzerland · Mariä Empfängnis

Next Immaculate Conception

Tuesday, 8 December 2026

Dates

YearDateWeekdayNotes
20268 DecemberTuesdayRegional
20278 DecemberWednesdayRegional

Where it applies

Aargau, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Luzern, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schwyz, Ticino, Uri, Valais (Wallis), Zug.

Is it a day off?

Only where it applies (see above). Elsewhere in Switzerland it is a normal working day, and it is not counted in the long weekends on this site.

Typical weather in Bern around 8 December: high 4°C (40°F), low -2°C (29°F), rain on 59% of days.

Averages for 2015–2024, 3 days either side of the date, for the area around Bern. Past averages, not a forecast.

About Immaculate Conception

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception on 8 December celebrates the Catholic belief that the Virgin Mary was conceived free from original sin. Pope Pius IX defined it as dogma in 1854, though the feast had been celebrated long before. It is a holy day of obligation in many Catholic countries and a public holiday in some of them.

Traditions

Catholics attend Mass, and in some places there are processions in honour of the Virgin Mary. In several countries the day is also associated with the start of the Christmas season, when decorations and Christmas markets appear.

Editorial summary by Public Holidays World. Dates on this page come from the data source; customs vary by region and family.

Coming up next in Switzerland

Christmas Day

Friday, 25 December 2026

More for Switzerland

Holiday dates are for general information and can change. Official government announcements take precedence.