Like every nation, Swiss love to celebrate. But not many holidays make all offices close. Here is the list of national holidays:
1 January: New Year’s Day
March or April: Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday
40th day after Easter: Ascension
7th week after Easter: Whit Sunday
1 August: National Day
the Thursday following the 1st Sunday of September: Geneva fasting day
25 December: Christmas
31 December: Geneva Restoration
Open hours
Banks: Monday to Friday: 8.30am - 4.30pm, Wednesday: 8.30am - 5.30pm, closed on Saturdays and
Sundays.
Post offices: Monday to Friday: 7.30am - noon and 1.45 -6pm, Saturday 8 - 11am. Shops: Monday to Friday: 8.30am - 6.45pm, Saturday 8am - 5pm; most shops are closed on Sundays. Some supermarkets (such as Migros and COOP) close at 7pm on week days and at 5.45pm on Saturdays. There is also a late shopping evening on Thursdays: shops close an hour later - at 8pm. Some grocers are open on Sundays and later in the evening on week days; three supermarkets, one in the airport, another in Cornavin railway station, and a smaller one by the petrol station near Balexert are also open on Sundays until late in the evening. Last but not least, there is also the possibility to purchase various ‘first-necessity’ goods, food or drinks from a dispenser in the hall below Cornavin railway station at any time of the day or night.
