When is Easter Monday?
In 2026, Easter Monday falls on Monday, April 6, 2026. It is classified here as a Austrian public holiday.
History of Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Western Easter Sunday and is therefore movable, falling between late March and late April. In Austria it is Ostermontag and forms a nationwide statutory holiday. Its Christian meaning continues the Easter celebration of the resurrection, with the Gospel journey to Emmaus providing a recurring theme in worship. The date is calculated from Easter Sunday, not assigned independently by the federal calendar.
Austria’s Easter culture differs by province and community. Decorated eggs, Osterjause meals with blessed foods, Easter markets and family visits often extend through the long weekend. Some communities hold an Emmaus walk or another parish outing on Monday. Good Friday should not be confused with Easter Monday: after a 2019 legal change, Good Friday is not a general statutory holiday or a special full-day holiday reserved for specified denominations, whereas Easter Monday remains protected nationwide.
Austria’s Working Rest Act expressly lists this date among the statutory holidays. Covered employees are normally entitled to an uninterrupted 24-hour holiday rest period, although authorised essential, transport, hospitality and other exempt work can continue. Austria has no general rule moving a fixed holiday to Monday when it falls on a weekend; the calendar date remains the legal holiday.
How Easter Monday is observed
A movable nationwide statutory holiday on the Monday after Easter Sunday; closures follow holiday rules rather than a substitute-day system.
Traditions of Easter Monday
Osterjause meals
Families share Easter ham, eggs, bread and regional foods, often continuing meals prepared or blessed during the preceding Easter days.
Decorated eggs
Painted and dyed eggs remain central to household celebrations, children’s games and displays at Austria’s seasonal Easter markets.
Emmaus walks
Some parishes and walking groups mark Easter Monday with an Emmausgang, connecting a spring outing to the biblical journey.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Austria government holiday guidance. State, local, school and employer arrangements may differ from the nationwide statutory calendar.
History sources: Austria Working Rest Act, Section 7, City of Vienna official public-holiday calendar, Austria Tourism: Easter markets and traditions, Encyclopaedia Britannica: the Christian liturgical year.
Continue exploring