Berlin closes on 31 October. Milan does not. That single mismatch captures why the CET zone shares a clock but never a calendar. The zone spans 17 IANA regions, from Algiers to Warsaw, and each government sets its own days off. Some delegate further: Germany's 16 Länder, Spain's 17 autonomous communities and Switzerland's 26 cantons all add local observances on top of the countrywide list.
The sharpest divide is religious. Catholic-majority countries (France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Poland) observe Marian feasts and All Saints' Day. Protestant-majority regions (northern Germany, several Swiss cantons) mark Reformation Day instead. Poland layers on national commemorations with no equivalent elsewhere.
The table below shows nine of the most common countrywide observances across major CET countries:
| Day | Germany | France | Italy | Spain | Poland | Austria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day (1 Jan) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Good Friday | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Easter Monday | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ (some years) | ✓ |
| Labour Day (1 May) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ascension Day | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Whit Monday | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| National Day | 3 Oct | 14 Jul | 2 Jun | 12 Oct | 3 May / 11 Nov | 26 Oct |
| All Saints' Day (1 Nov) | ✓ (regions) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Christmas Day (25 Dec) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| St. Stephen's Day (26 Dec) | ✓ (regions) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Which fixed public holidays does each CET country observe?
Germany: Tag der Deutschen Einheit (3 Oct)
Germany's national day marks the 1990 reunification. It is the only federal observance kept in every Land. All 16 Länder also observe New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day.
France: Fête Nationale (14 Jul)
Bastille Day commemorates the 1789 Fête de la Fédération. France has 11 official countrywide days. Alsace-Moselle, on the German border, observes two additional days: Good Friday and 26 December.
Italy: Festa della Repubblica (2 Jun)
Italy's Republic Day marks the 1946 institutional referendum. Italy has 11 countrywide days. Each of the 20 regions adds its own patron saint's day. Rome celebrates 29 June (Saints Peter and Paul). Milan celebrates 7 December (Saint Ambrose).
Spain: Fiesta Nacional (12 Oct)
Spain's national day coincides with the discovery of the Americas. Spain has 12 countrywide observances, but only eight apply across all regions. The remaining four are chosen by each of the 17 autonomous communities. Madrid observes 2 May (Dos de Mayo) and 9 November (Almudena) additionally.
Poland: Independence Day (11 Nov)
Poland regained independence in 1918. It has 13 countrywide days. Constitution Day (3 May) is the other purely national celebration. Poland also observes 6 January (Epiphany) and 15 August (Assumption, also Armed Forces Day).
Other CET countries
- Czech Republic: 13 days; 5 July (Saints Cyril and Methodius), 6 July (Jan Hus) are unique.
- Hungary: 12 days; 20 August (St. Stephen's Day) is the founding celebration.
- Austria: 13 days; 26 October (National Day) and 15 November (St. Leopold, Lower Austria only).
- Switzerland: No countrywide day except 1 August (Swiss National Day). All other days are cantonal.
When do Easter and Pentecost shift each year?
Seven observances in the CET zone depend on the ecclesiastical lunar calendar and move annually:
| Day | Date (2026) | Date (2027) |
|---|---|---|
| Ash Wednesday | 18 February | 10 February |
| Good Friday | 3 April | 26 March |
| Easter Sunday | 5 April | 28 March |
| Easter Monday | 6 April | 29 March |
| Ascension Day | 14 May | 6 May |
| Whit Sunday | 24 May | 16 May |
| Whit Monday | 25 May | 17 May |
| Corpus Christi | 4 June | 27 May |
Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox (21 March). The window runs from 22 March to 25 April. Every Easter-based day shifts by the same margin. In 2026, Easter falls on 5 April; in 2027, on 28 March.
Corpus Christi is a public day in Austria, most of Italy, parts of Spain, and the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Hessen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland.
Which German Länder and Swiss cantons add their own days?
German Länder
Germany's federal system gives each Land authority over its calendar. The variation is wide:
| Day | Observed in |
|---|---|
| Epiphany (6 Jan) | Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt |
| International Women's Day (8 Mar) | Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
| Corpus Christi | 6 Catholic-influenced Länder |
| Assumption (15 Aug) | Bayern (Catholic areas), Saarland |
| Reformation Day (31 Oct) | All Protestant-majority Länder, plus Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg |
| All Saints' Day (1 Nov) | Catholic-influenced Länder |
| Repentance Day (Nov) | Sachsen only |
A business in Munich may close on 15 August. One in Berlin operates normally.
Swiss Cantons
Switzerland has no countrywide day beyond 1 August. Each of the 26 cantons sets its own calendar. Zürich observes 2 January (Berchtoldstag) and 1 May. Geneva celebrates 31 December (Restoration of the Republic). Ticino, being Catholic, closes for Corpus Christi and Assumption. Appenzell Innerrhoden has the fewest days; Valais the most.
How do closures hit business and transport?
Public days in CET countries follow a quiet-day pattern:
- Offices and banks: closed countrywide on national days; closed regionally on regional ones. German banks typically close at 16:00 on ordinary weekdays, with Thursday extended hours in some cities. French and Italian bank hours run roughly 08:30 to 16:30, Monday to Friday, with lunch closures in smaller branches.
- Shops: Germany closes all shops on Sundays and public days (Ladenschlussgesetz). France allows tourist-zone shops to open. Poland's Sunday trading ban permits shopping on the last Sunday of each month, plus the two Sundays before Christmas.
- Public transport: runs on Sunday schedules. Reduced frequency, later start, earlier finish. Rural buses may not run at all.
- Museums and attractions: usually open on public days but close on Mondays instead. Check individual venues.
- Bridges: when a day off falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many businesses close the intervening day (Brückentag in German, pont in French, puente in Spanish). This creates four-day weekends.
Why do CET countries close on Sundays?
Sunday closing has religious roots (the Christian day of rest) but is now enforced by labour law. Germany's Arbeitszeitgesetz prohibits work on Sundays and public days. France's Code du Travail has similar provisions. Poland's Sunday trading ban is explicitly secular, introduced to protect workers and family life.
Enforcement varies:
| Country | Sunday shopping | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Banned | Exceptions: bakeries, train stations, petrol stations |
| France | Banned | Tourist zones exempt; 12 Sunday openings per year allowed |
| Italy | Allowed in tourist areas | Small shops may open; large malls restricted |
| Spain | Allowed in tourist zones | Regional rules; Madrid allows 22 Sunday openings |
| Poland | Banned | Exceptions: small family shops, bakeries, pharmacies |
| Czech Republic | Allowed | Most shopping malls open 10:00-21:00 |
The trend in recent decades is toward liberalisation, but Sunday remains culturally quieter across the CET zone. Family time and outdoor activity take priority.
Planning travel around CET public days
For business travel:
- Avoid travelling on the Tuesday after a Monday closure. Airports and roads are busiest.
- Confirm whether a regional day affects your destination. A closure in Bayern does not shut a Frankfurt office.
- Check whether a bridge day has been declared. Many companies close between a Tuesday day off and the weekend.
For tourism:
- Expect higher hotel prices and fuller attractions during long weekends created by bridge days.
- Verify museum opening hours. Many close Mondays even during holiday weeks.
- In Catholic regions, processions on Corpus Christi and All Saints' Day may cause street closures.
For transport:
- Rail operators run Sunday schedules on public days.
- Night trains and overnight buses may not run on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve.
- Strikes are more common around holidays in France and Italy. Check operator apps the day before.
Calendar check for 2026:
| Country | Long weekends (closure + weekend) |
|---|---|
| Germany | 1 Jan (Thu), 3 Apr (Fri), 1 May (Fri), 25 Dec (Fri) |
| France | 1 Jan (Thu), 6 Apr (Mon), 1 May (Fri), 14 Jul (Tue), 25 Dec (Fri) |
| Italy | 6 Apr (Mon), 1 May (Fri), 15 Aug (Sat), 8 Dec (Tue) |
| Spain | 6 Apr (Mon), 1 May (Fri), 12 Oct (Mon), 25 Dec (Fri) |
| Poland | 6 Apr (Mon), 1 May (Fri), 11 Nov (Wed), 25 Dec (Fri) |
CET public days at a glance
- Most common fixed days: 1 January, 1 May, 25-26 December.
- Most common moveable days: Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday.
- Unique to Catholic countries: Corpus Christi, Assumption (15 Aug), All Saints' Day (1 Nov), Immaculate Conception (8 Dec).
- Unique to Germany: Reformation Day (31 Oct), Repentance Day (Sachsen only).
- Unique to Poland: Constitution Day (3 May), Independence Day (11 Nov).
- Unique to Switzerland: Swiss National Day (1 Aug). The only federal day.
One rule covers every situation: check the regional calendar. A public day in Rome does not affect a business in Milan unless it is a countrywide day. And a countrywide day in France does not close a German office. The CET zone shares a time. It does not share a calendar.