It can be really hard to justify or even understand why, in such a Catholic country like Austria, the death of Jesus is not a holiday (see: Why is Good Friday not a holiday in Austria?), but the day after his resurrection is.
But the simple answer, that it is just “the day after Easter”, doesn't really explain why Monday rather than Sunday became the extra day off. The reason lies partly in Christian tradition, partly in old church calendars, but also in the long way religious festivals were turned into public holidays that still shape daily life in Austria today.
A nationwide holiday
In Austria, Easter Monday is a legal public holiday nationwide. Legally, it is treated like other established public holidays such as Whit Monday or St Stephen’s Day. In practice, that means it is not just a church date for believers, but it affects schools, work, transport and opening hours.
Like Easter itself, Easter Monday is a movable holiday. Its date changes every year because Easter does.
Once Easter Sunday is fixed, Easter Monday is simply the day after it. In 2026, that puts Good Friday on April 3rd, Easter Sunday on April 5th and Easter Monday on April 6th.
So the date shifts because it is tied to the calculation of Easter, not to a fixed calendar day.
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The Christian story behind Easter Monday
The religious meaning of Easter Monday comes mainly from the Gospel of Luke and the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
The basic idea is this: after Jesus’s crucifixion, two disciples leave Jerusalem and walk towards Emmaus. On the road, they are joined by a stranger, who speaks to them about what has happened. Only later, when he breaks bread with them, do they recognise that the stranger is the risen Jesus. He then disappears, and the disciples return to Jerusalem to tell the others what they have seen.
That is why Easter Monday is not simply treated as an empty extra day after the main feast. In Christian tradition, it is tied to the continuation of the resurrection story. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection itself. Easter Monday continues that Easter message through the Emmaus story.
But there's also some history behind this. The Monday off is a “leftover” from a time when the days from Palm Sunday to White Sunday were work-free. By the High Middle Ages, that long rest period had already been reduced, ending around the Wednesday after Easter.
Then, in 1642, Pope Urban VIII formally declared the days from Easter Sunday to Easter Tuesday work-free. Over time, that longer work-free block shrank down to Monday.
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What do people in Austria actually do on Easter Monday?
Some customs are strongly religious, others are more seasonal or local.
One of the best-known is the Emmausgang, a walk that recalls the disciples’ journey to Emmaus. In Austria and southern Germany, this sometimes takes the form of a walk to a church or pilgrimage chapel, often accompanied by prayers or songs.
In the Weinviertel, there is also the tradition of In die Grean gehen, literally going out into the green countryside. In one older version of the custom, winegrowers and helpers went to the cellar lane for the first tasting of the new vintage. More broadly, it has come to mean a spring outing, often with food and drink.
Family walks and visits are also common.
There is no single special Easter Monday meal. In many families, the day still involves a festive lunch, often featuring traditional home-style dishes or lamb, much like Easter Sunday.
One more specific custom does survive in pastries. Godnstriezl, Godnkipferl or Osterbrezn made from brioche dough are traditionally given to godchildren on Easter Monday. So the food side exists, but it is a little looser and more family-based than the major set-piece meal of Easter Sunday.
It is a holiday just after a Sunday, though, so if you plan a feast, you need to prepare your shopping days in advance as shops will be closed on Monday, the previous Sunday, and with shorter hours on Satruday.
READ ALSO: What's open and what's closed in Austria over Easter weekend?
Key vocabulary
Ostermontag – Easter Monday
gesetzlicher Feiertag – legal public holiday
beweglicher Feiertag – movable holiday
Emmausgang – a walk recalling the disciples’ journey to Emmaus
Osteroktav – the eight-day Easter period in church liturgy
In die Grean gehen – a Weinviertel custom of going out into the countryside, often linked to spring and wine traditions
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