Epiphany in Slovakia

Date and legal status

Under Slovakia’s Act No. 241/1993, January 6 is a day of rest associated with the Feast of the Epiphany, the Three Kings, and an Orthodox Christmas feast. It is listed among additional days of rest rather than among the state holidays set out separately in the act. The law names January 6 itself and does not specify a substitute weekday when it falls on a weekend.[1]

The day-of-rest designation does not mean that every worker is necessarily off: labor law allows some work on days of rest under specified conditions. In practice, whether a person works depends on their job and schedule.[1]

Meaning and Slovak customs

The feast recalls the biblical story of the Magi visiting the infant Jesus. In Slovakia, the name Traja králi means “Three Kings”; the holiday has also traditionally marked the close of the Christmas period.[2]

A well-known folk custom is the Marching of the Magi, also called marching with a star. In many parts of Slovakia, boys dressed in long white shirts and crowns went from house to house performing a play based on the New Testament account. The form of the procession varies by region.[2]

Another custom is koleda, or carolling. Slovakia’s tourism portal describes a priest visiting homes with a procession and marking above the door the last two digits of the date and the initials G.M.B., for Gaspar, Melcher, and Balthazar. Check with local households about current customs.[2]

Practical effects

Epiphany remains a statutory day of rest, but the shop-closure claim in older holiday guides needs updating. An amendment to the Labour Code removed January 6 from the list of dates when employers may not require or agree to retail work. That means shops may open; individual retailers decide their hours.[1][3]

Epiphany is a legal day of rest, and retail-work rules change. Check opening hours with the office, bank or attraction, and check the timetable with the transport operator.[1][3]