"The Grinch" Strikes

We’ll Lose Four Holidays in 2027

In 2027, the “Holiday Grinch” will strike particularly hard: He’ll “steal” both Christmas holidays from us, and while he’s at it, he’ll take two more holidays as well.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

Next year’s calendars are currently being unveiled, often with great fanfare and beautiful images—but there’s a sour aftertaste: In 2027, the “Holiday Grinch” will strike particularly hard.

Hot off the press, they’re already sitting in living rooms all across the country. As beautiful and elaborately designed as they may be, a critical look at the monthly pages really dampens the mood. That’s because four of the 13 statutory holidays will fall on a weekend next year—with the worst of it on December 25 and 26. May 1 (Saturday) and August 15 (Sunday) are also snubbing us this year by falling on weekends.

At least the National Holiday falls on a Tuesday in 2027, marking the start of the fall break, which concludes with All Saints’ Day the following week.

The start of the year, on the other hand, is positive: New Year’s Day falls on a Friday, and Epiphany, accordingly, on a Wednesday. This certainly offers an excellent opportunity to create a long weekend.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

The Easter Bunny is coming especially early this year
A glance at the March calendar will have ski resorts rejoicing. That’s because Easter falls particularly early this year and takes place over the long weekend of March 27, 28, and 29. Before that, Easter break will take place uniformly across Austria—so it’s quite possible there will still be snow on the slopes then.

Incidentally, the reason Easter falls on a different date each year can be explained by the moon: Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. The start of spring is set for March 21.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

As a result, Easter Sunday can fall on March 22 at the earliest and April 25 at the latest. The date therefore varies each year and is determined according to a fixed ecclesiastical calculation method.

Ascension Day, Pentecost Monday, and Corpus Christi are fixed holidays 40, 50, and 60 days after Easter, respectively.

Elternbonus sorgt für Urlaubs-Ärger

Wer Kinder hat, hat beim Chef oft bessere Karten

The issue is causing a stir in Switzerland. There, a woman named “Chloe” reported online that she wanted to take time off over Christmas. But her boss made it clear to her that parents have priority when it comes to allocating sought-after vacation days. “That’s not fair,” the woman says, clearly upset.

And what’s the situation in Austria? There is no legal priority for parents. According to the Vacation Act, employers and employees must agree on the timing. In doing so, both the needs of the business and the employee’s opportunity for rest must be taken into account.

However, family does indeed play a role in this balancing act. The Supreme Court has ruled that family reasons must be taken into account. Those with school-age children who are dependent on school vacation schedules would therefore have the upper hand. However, childless employees do not automatically have to take a back seat—there is no fixed “parents first” rule.