Holidays and events in Austria
There are a number of public holidays that do not have a fixed date, but are based on the location of Easter. Easter takes place on the first Sunday that follows the first full moon after the beginning of spring. Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, which ends on Holy Saturday, is 46 days before Holy Saturday.
The date for Pentecost is then 50 days after Easter. Corpus Christi is celebrated on the second Thursday after Pentecost.
All Saints’ Day is celebrated for Orthodox Christians on the first Sunday after Pentecost, but for Catholic Christians the date is fixed on November 1st. On October 31, Protestants celebrate Reformation Day. The Halloween festival also takes place on this day.
Holidays
Date | Holiday |
January 1 | New Year |
6th January | Holy Three Kings |
March April | Easter |
April May | Ascension of Christ |
May | Pentecost |
May | Corpus Christi |
1st of May | Labor Day |
15th of August | Assumption Day |
October 26 | National holiday |
November 1 | All Saints Day |
December 8 | Mary Conception |
December 25th and 26 | Christmas holiday |
Source: Countryaah – Austria Holidays
Lights of Peace Every year on the day before Christmas Eve, lights in the form of burning candles are brought to many houses, restaurants, hotels, etc. These lights were lit by a wide chain on a candle lit in Jerusalem. The bringing of the lights to the individual houses is then taken over by scouts, mountaineers, the mountain rescue service, the Red Cross, the fire department and many others.
Regular cultural events
January
New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony and the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra
Epiphany parades in many places on January 6
Alper smacking (expulsion of winter crack whips)
Mozart Week in Salzburg
February/March
Tyrolean Carnival with
masked parades. Spark Sunday, campfire with burning of a cloth witch
March/April
Salzburg Easter Festival with the Berlin Philharmonic
May
Putting up the maypole
Schubertiade, concerts in honor of Schubert in Schwarzenberg
Ausseerland Narcissus
Festival Festival of storytelling in Graz at Whitsun
Beginning of the Linz cultural summer, which lasts until September.
June
Danube Island Festival with free music concerts
Vienna Sound Arch, Classical concerts from June to September at different locations in Vienna
Midsummer bonfire or Midsummer bonfire on June 24th Danube Festival
Lower Austria with music, dance and theater
Glockner pilgrimage from Ferleiten to Heiligenblut
Beginning of the festival at the Finkenstein Castle Arena (operettas, Concerts, cabaret)
July
Jazz Festival Vienna
Innsbruck dance summer
Styriate, music festival in Graz
Beginning of Carinthian summer in Villach and Ossiach (classical and modern music)
Beginning of Ischl operetta
festival Salzburg festival with music, operas and theater
Bregenz festival with music and theater on the world’s largest lake stage
Mörbisch lake festival with music and Operettas
August
International Folk Festival in Hallein
Seebühne am Wörthersee (musicals)
September
International Hayden Days in Eisenstadt
Brahms Music Festival in Mürzzuschlag
Festive Almabetrieb, in which the cattle are decorated and driven back to the stables.
October
Viennale, film festival in Vienna
Styrian Autumn with operas, concerts, readings and theater in Graz
Salzburg Jazz Autumn until November
December
Christmas markets in many cities and towns
Regular sporting events
Austria offers a range of sports opportunities. Numerous water sports are offered. There are flight schools for gliding and powered flight, hang gliding and paragliding as well as balloon rides. Of course, Austria has the best conditions for winter sports.
The Four Hills Tournament takes place in the first week of January in Innsbruck and Bischofshofen.
The Hahnenkamm race, a downhill ski run, takes place annually in January in Kitzbühel.
Climate
- Abbreviationfinder.org: Presents the way that AT stands for the nation of Austria as a two-letter acronym.
The best time to travel to Austria
The ideas of what is meant by a particularly favorable travel climate depend on a number of factors. Pure cultural travelers certainly see the climate differently than people who want to spend a pure beach holiday, for example. The state of health or age can also play an important role. You can travel to Austria all year round. In autumn, for example, you can visit the Wachau to eat and drink. And in spring you visit wonderful Vienna.
For skiers
Skiers are best to come to the country in February, March and April. But there is usually enough snow from mid-December. But because of the shortness of the days and the often very low temperatures, this late season is only partially recommended for skiing, the same applies to January. Summer skiing on a number of glaciers is a particular attraction.
Climate table
The following table shows some of the country’s climate data. It must be taken into account that there are significant climatic differences in the country and that the values shown are values averaged over years. A prediction about the expected weather is therefore hardly possible:
Month | Average number of rainy days | Mean maximum temperatures in (°C) | Mean minimum temperatures in (°C) |
January | 14 | at 0 | -04 |
February | 12 | 03 -05 | -04 |
March | 12 | 07-08 | at 0 |
April | 12 | 13-15 | 03-05 |
May | 12 | 18-20 | 09-11 |
June | 14 | 20-22 | 13-14 |
July | 12 | 23-25 | 13-15 |
August | 12 | 23-25 | 13-15 |
September | 10 | 18-20 | 09-10 |
October | 12 | 13-15 | 03-05 |
November | 14 | 04-06 | 0-02 |
December | 14 | 0 -02 | -02 |