Nationwide public holiday. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on Friday, 25 December 2026. 25 December is listed in section 7 of the Working Rest Act as Christmas and applies throughout Austria. [1]
- Author
- Urlaubskalender.at editorial team
- Last checked
- Source basis
- official sources and editorial review
2026
Christmas Day: public holiday and Christmas break
25 December is a public holiday across Austria; Saint Stephen's Day and New Year's Day shape the days that follow.
- Date
- In 2026, Christmas Day falls on Friday, 25 December 2026.
- Status
- Nationwide public holiday
- 25 December is listed in section 7 of the Working Rest Act as Christmas and applies throughout Austria.
- Everyday life
- Shops mostly closed
- Regular retail, banks, authorities and many service providers are closed; exceptions mainly concern supply, travel and tourism.
- Annual leave
- 10 free days with 4 days of leave
- Christmas Day falls in 2026 on Friday. With annual leave from 28 December to 31 December, you get a block from Christmas Day until after New Year's Day.
Practical
Christmas Day in practice
Organisation depends on holiday status, location and published opening hours.
Work
Holiday restFor most employees, holiday rest applies on 25 December. Work is possible only in permitted sectors such as health care, nursing, transport, safety, hospitality, hotels, tourism or supply services.
Shopping
Mostly closedRegular supermarkets, shopping centres, banks, public offices and many service providers are closed. Typical exceptions are petrol stations, travel-supply locations, emergency services, individual bakery or railway-station locations and tourist businesses.
Restaurants
ReserveMany restaurants stay closed on Christmas Day or work with fixed holiday menus. Open restaurants, hotel restaurants and excursion dining are often booked out early.
Schools
Christmas holidaysIn the 2026/27 school year, the Christmas holidays run according to the ministry from 24 December 2026 to 6 January 2027. For families, childcare, travel and the return after Epiphany are relevant.
Legal position
Public-holiday rest and the Christmas period
Read legal status, school rules and workplace arrangements separately.
Statutory public holiday
Section 7 of the Working Rest Act explicitly names 25 December as Christmas. Christmas Day is therefore a nationwide statutory public holiday and not merely a customary day.
Public-holiday work
Anyone working on 25 December is usually in an expressly permitted sector. Pay, substitute rest and supplements depend on the law, collective agreement, employment contract and roster.
No automatic substitute Monday
If 25 December does not fall on a normal working day in 2026, or falls during weekly rest, classic Monday-to-Friday jobs do not receive a general substitute public holiday like in British or US systems.
Separate 24, 25 and 26
Christmas Eve is treated differently under employment law from Christmas Day. 25 and 26 December are listed in the Working Rest Act; 24 December is shaped by collective agreements, employers and sector practice.
Austria locally
Christmas in Austria
Local organisers publish the relevant dates, religious forms and regional customs.
Birth of Christ
In church terms, Christmas Day is Christmas: the feast of Christ's birth and God's incarnation. In the Catholic calendar, 25 December is celebrated as the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord.
Midnight Mass and services
Many celebrations begin during the night from 24 to 25 December. On Christmas Day itself, church services, family visits and a quieter holiday rhythm follow.
Gift-giving usually on the 24th
In Austria, gift-giving mostly takes place on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is then more of a quiet public holiday for family, food, church services, visits and rest.
Second public holiday follows immediately
Saint Stephen's Day on 26 December follows directly after Christmas Day and is also a statutory public holiday. This two-day combination shapes the Austrian Christmas break.
Family visits
Quiet dayAfter Christmas Eve, 25 December is in many places the day for visiting relatives, taking calmer routes, eating together and having longer conversations.
Festive meal
Restaurant & homeWhether at home, in an inn or in a hotel restaurant: Christmas Day is an important dining date. For guests, reservations, opening hours, menus and regional offers matter.
Christmas tree & calm
After Christmas EveThe tree is up, the gifts are usually unwrapped and many errands are done. Christmas Day lives from calm, music, light, Mass, a walk and time at home.
Christmas holiday
Hotels & AlpsHotels, thermal spas, ski regions and family resorts are often booked early around Christmas Day. Anyone travelling should clarify travel, restaurant tables and check-in times in good time.
Quellen & Weiterführendes
- RIS - Working Rest Act § 7 : Holiday rest and nationwide public-holiday list with 25 December and 26 December.
- BMB - school holidays 2026/2027 : Christmas school holidays from 24 December 2026 to 6 January 2027.
- Austrian National Bank - bank holidays : Statutory public holidays and bank holidays, including Christmas and Saint Stephen's Day.
- Katholisch.at - Christmas : Church meaning of Christmas as the feast of Christ's birth and God's incarnation.
- Katholisch.at - questions about Christmas : Context for 24 December, Christmas Day and Christmas customs.
- Christmas Eve : Evening before, gift-giving, opening hours and work logic on 24 December.
- Saint Stephen's Day : Second Christmas public holiday on 26 December.
- Austria annual-leave planner : Compare Christmas leave and bridge days through New Year's Day.