All Saints' Day is a statutory public holiday across Austria on 1 November. Before the day, check shop closures, cemetery traffic, flowers and grave lights, the school calendar around All Souls' Day, and possible autumn-break bridge days.
In 2026, All Saints' Day falls on Sunday. For employees on a Monday-to-Friday schedule, that creates no additional weekday off.
Holiday rest still applies when 1 November falls on a Sunday. Regular retail and many services remain closed or operate only under their usual Sunday and public-holiday rules.
The following day, 2 November, is All Souls' Day and not a nationwide statutory work holiday. Check school, childcare, return travel and cemetery plans separately for Monday.
Maximize your free time around Allerheiligen:
What applies on 1 November and why All Souls' Day needs a separate check.
All Saints' Day is listed in section 7 of the Working Rest Act and is a nationwide statutory public holiday. Regular retail, schools, banks and public offices are generally closed; permitted exceptions and local opening hours still need to be checked. [1]
All Souls' Day on 2 November is not a nationwide statutory work holiday. School, childcare and work can therefore fall out of step, while cemetery areas may still have heavier traffic and local arrangements.
For most employees, holiday rest applies on 1 November. Work is limited to permitted sectors such as healthcare, care services, transport, hospitality, tourism, funeral services, security and essential supply.
Regular supermarkets, shopping centres, banks, public offices and many services stay closed. Exceptions mainly cover travel supplies, petrol stations, restaurants, emergency services and often flower sales near cemeteries.
Access roads, parking, public transport and footpaths around large cemeteries are often busier than usual. Allow extra time and check local notices before a grave blessing or family visit.
Schools are closed on All Saints' Day. In the 2026/27 school year, the Education Ministry lists autumn break from 27 October to 31 October 2026; check the relevant school calendar separately for All Souls' Day on 2 November.
Autumn break in the school-holiday calendarWhy 1 November is All Saints' Day and why many Austrian customs also recall All Souls' Day.
All Saints' Day is the feast of all saints, including those without their own commemoration day. The date of 1 November is firmly established in the Western Church.
All Souls' Day on 2 November commemorates the dead and is legally distinct from the statutory public holiday on 1 November.
Halloween is the evening before All Saints' Day on 31 October, not the focus of planning for the public holiday itself.
Grave blessings, Allerheiligenstriezel and family visits.
Many families clean and decorate graves before All Saints' Day with arrangements, chrysanthemums, wreaths, brushwood or winter-hardy plants.
Grave lights, cemetery visits and grave blessings shape the day. The observance is calm and respectful rather than dramatic or Halloween-like.
The braided sweet Striezel is a well-known Austrian custom. In some regions, godchildren receive it from their godmother or godfather.
After the cemetery and Mass, many families meet quietly for coffee, Striezel or a shared meal. Regional restaurants, coffee houses and bakeries fit naturally into that plan.
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