Public holiday in Austria
New Year's Day in Austria
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Nationwide public holiday
New Year's Day is a nationwide public holiday in Austria on 1 January. It marks the start of the calendar year and begins the winter holiday period for many people.
About New Year's Day in Austria
In Austria, New Year's Day is a nationwide public holiday and one of the year’s quietest official days. It sits at the start of the calendar year and immediately follows New Year’s Eve, so many people use it for rest, family time or recovery after the previous night’s celebrations. As a public holiday, it has practical significance across the country, with public life generally moving at a slower pace than on an ordinary weekday. It is also part of the sequence of winter observances around the turn of the year, alongside the evening before it and the days that follow.
History
Austria observes New Year’s Day as part of the long-established European calendar tradition of marking 1 January as the start of the year. Its modern public-holiday status reflects that standard civic role rather than a specifically Austrian commemorative event.
Traditions
Austrian New Year customs are often centered on symbols of luck for the coming year. Common seasonal motifs include horseshoes, clover, pigs and other small tokens exchanged as gifts or displayed as decorations. Celebratory foods and drinks may also feature at home gatherings, especially around the previous evening and into the first day of the year, but customs vary by family and region.
How New Year's Day is celebrated in Austria
Many people spend the day quietly at home, visiting family or taking a slower pace after New Year’s Eve festivities. In larger towns and cities, the day is usually calmer than an ordinary workday, with public events limited compared with the night before.
Interesting facts
Austria’s New Year period is closely associated with the Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker, the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert. The traditional broadcast has become one of the best-known cultural markers of the day in the country.
Dates in published calendars
Import sources
- Generic ICS feed
An import is not an independent verification.