Nationwide public holiday. Corpus Christi always falls on a Thursday; in 2026, that is Thursday, 4 June 2026. The day is listed in section 7 of the Austrian Rest Period Act and applies across Austria. [1]
- Author
- Urlaubskalender.at editorial team
- Last checked
- Source basis
- official sources and editorial review
2026
Corpus Christi: public holiday and bridge day
Corpus Christi is free across Austria; the following Friday remains a separate leave or school-planning decision.
- Date
- Corpus Christi always falls on a Thursday; in 2026, that is Thursday, 4 June 2026.
- Status
- Nationwide public holiday
- The day is listed in section 7 of the Austrian Rest Period Act and applies across Austria.
- Bridge day
- 4 free days
- 1 leave day on Friday, 5 June, is enough for a long weekend.
- Calendar logic
- 60 days after Easter
- Corpus Christi is ten days after Whit Monday, 25 May.
Practical
Public holiday in practice
Organisation depends on holiday status, location and published opening hours.
Work
Holiday restFor most employees, public-holiday rest applies. Work on Corpus Christi is only possible in permitted sectors such as healthcare, transport, restaurants, tourism, supply services or other statutory exceptions.
Shopping
Mostly closedRegular supermarkets, shopping centres, banks and many public offices are closed. Typical exceptions are travel-supply locations, petrol stations, emergency services, restaurants and tourism offers.
School
Thursday offThe public holiday itself is school-free. Friday, 5 June, is not a nationwide statutory public holiday; school type, federal state and school-autonomous days decide.
Traffic
Short breakTravel traffic can already increase on Wednesday afternoon. Local closures due to processions on Thursday morning may add to this, especially in town centres and around churches.
Legal position
Work, school and the Friday after
Read legal status, school rules and workplace arrangements separately.
Nationwide public holiday
Section 7 of the Austrian Rest Period Act explicitly names Corpus Christi as a statutory public holiday. The day is therefore not only a church feast but also relevant in employment law.
Public-holiday work
Work on statutory public holidays is only allowed when an exception applies. Pay, compensatory rest, supplements and duty rosters also depend on the law, collective agreement and employment contract.
Friday afterwards
The Friday after Corpus Christi, 5 June 2026, is a classic bridge day but not a public holiday in its own right. Annual leave, time off in lieu, workplace agreements or the school calendar must be checked separately.
School
For families, the precise answer is better than the old blanket rule: the public holiday itself is free; the Friday afterwards depends on the relevant holiday and school calendar.
Austria locally
Processions and regional observance
Local organisers publish the relevant dates, religious forms and regional customs.
Solemnity of the Eucharist
The liturgical title is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. At the centre is the Catholic celebration of Christ's enduring presence in the Eucharist.
60 days after Easter
Corpus Christi follows the Easter calculation. It falls on the second Thursday after Whitsun and therefore ten days after Whit Monday.
Not a gloomy name
The German name comes from Middle High German: vron means glorious or belonging to the Lord, and lichnam means body. It does not refer to a corpse, but to the body of Christ.
Procession
ChurchAfter Mass, the congregation often moves through streets or across village squares. The host is carried in a monstrance, often beneath a canopy.
Flowers & altars
RegionalFlower carpets, birch branches, outdoor altars, music, traditional dress and associations shape many Austrian celebrations. The details vary strongly by locality.
Lake processions
SalzkammergutIn the Salzkammergut, processions on water are especially visible, for example in Hallstatt. Decorated boats and the lake replace parts of the classic procession route there.
Prangertag
DialectIn parts of Austria, Corpus Christi is also called Prangertag. This does not mean a different feast so much as the festive, publicly visible character of the day.
Quellen & Weiterführendes
- RIS - Austrian Rest Period Act § 7 : nationwide public-holiday list; Corpus Christi is explicitly included.
- Labour Inspectorate - public-holiday rest : right to public-holiday rest and overview of statutory public holidays.
- oesterreich.gv.at - school-holiday calendar 2025/2026 : school calendar, statutory public holidays and state-specific holiday overviews.
- Katholisch.at - Corpus Christi : religious meaning, Eucharist, date and explanation of the term.
- Catholic parish Hallstatt - Corpus Christi lake procession : regional context for the Corpus Christi lake procession in Hallstatt.
- Annual leave planner Austria : compare bridge days and long weekends.
- School holidays in Austria : check holidays and school-free days by federal state.