Like most national holidays, this one also has religious roots. On January 6th, Catholics, Orthodox and Anglican Christians celebrate the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ, hence the name Epiphany, and a celebration of the "adoration of the Magi" when the three kings visited the newborn Christ.
This is why the day is also known as Three Kings Day, or Heilige Drei Könige (literally three holy kings).
Even those who are not religious can enjoy the fact that, as a public holiday, Epiphany often means an extra day off work.
But when a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, people who normally work Monday to Friday miss out on that extra day off. Austria does not automatically compensate them with another day off during the week.
The 'lost' holidays
For many immigrants, the fact that Austria doesn't have a "compensation day" if a holiday falls on the weekend can be surprising.
There hasn't been much talk in Austria about that, possibly because the country has other struggles to fight when it comes to holidays (including the fact that Good Friday is not a bank holiday) and plenty of controversy concerning rest days.
READ ALSO:Why is Good Friday not a holiday in Austria?
So what happens when a holiday falls on a weekend in Austria?
First of all, it depends on whether it is a Saturday or a Sunday.
Saturday is technically not a rest day, so people who usually work on Saturdays will have the day off (or get double pay for working on a holiday), and most shops and supermarkets will close.
This is when people will see a significant difference in daily life and in their work life.
READ ALSO:Six tourist scams to be aware of in Austria
However if the holiday falls on a Sunday then nothing much changes. The normal Sunday rest provisions under Austria's Arbeitsruhegesetz still apply.
The vast majority of shops are closed as they would be on any other Sunday. For those who do work, the bank holiday doesn't necessarily equate to double pay.
Instead Sunday work is paid in accordance with the relevant CA or employment arrangement. Many CAs will have a 100% surcharge but that's not necessarily the case for all workers.
These are the general rules, but in Austria, much of the labour laws are governed by collective agreements of specific professions. Additionally, the federal regulations determine that exceptions to the weekend and holiday rest can be made for some essential workers, and exceptions can be granted after a specific ordinance by authorities.
For non-essential workers who usually run a Monday to Friday work week, not much changes then, and yes, the holiday on a Sunday would be "lost".
However, for these people, holidays on a Saturday are not only lost as rest days, but as possible shopping and grocery days as well - leading to some very long Friday evening supermarket lines.
High quality of life
Sunday rest is an important part of Austrian working life, and employees are generally entitled to at least 36 consecutive hours of weekly rest. However, exceptions apply in sectors where Sunday work is permitted.
But more than that, Austria also has one of the highest numbers of national public holidays, at 13 (with some states having up to 15).
Workers are also entitled to one "private holiday" a year, which works similarly to a public holiday, but can be taken any day.
READ MORE: What are The Local Austria's 'reader questions'?
Comments