Public holidays in Germany

Except for the national holiday (German Unity Day), public holidays in Germany (gesetzliche Feiertage) are determined by the federal states.

Holiday	Local Name	Date
New Year's Day	Neujahrstag	1 January	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Epiphany	Heilige Drei Könige	6 January	Y	Y												Y
Good Friday	Karfreitag	Easter Sunday - 1/2d	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Easter Monday	Ostermontag	Easter Sunday + 1/2d	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Labor Day	Tag der Arbeit	1 May	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Ascension Day	Christi Himmelfahrt	Easter Sunday + 39d	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Whit Monday	Pfingstmontag	Easter Sunday + 50d	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Corpus Christi	Fronleichnam	Easter Sunday + 60d	Y	Y					Y			Y	Y	Y	1			2
Peace Festival	Friedensfest	8 August		3
Assumption Day	Mariä Himmelfahrt	15 August		5,7										Y
German Unity Day 6	Tag der Deutschen Einheit	3 October	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Reformation Day	Reformationstag	31 October				Y				Y					Y	Y		Y
All Saints	Allerheiligen	1 November	Y	Y								Y	Y	Y
Day of Repentance and Prayer 4	Buß- und Bettag	Wed. before 23 November													Y
Christmas Day	Weihnachtstag	25 December	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
St Stephen's Day / Boxing Day	Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag	26 December	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Total 8			12	13	9	10	9	9	10	10	9	11	11	12	11	11	9	10

Notes on the table

Y	Public holiday within this state.
1	Only in a few Sorbian communities.
2	Only in the Catholic district of Eichsfeld.
3	Only in the city of Augsburg.
4	Public holiday in all states until 1994. The holiday was dropped in exchange for the introduction of nursing care insurance. Saxony is the only state where employers do not have to pay for nursing care insurance, as it was all paid by the employees, so they could keep the holiday.
5	Only in the approx. 1700 communities with mostly Catholic inhabitants and in the cities of Augsburg and Munich.
6	National holiday since 1990, commemorating German reunification on that date. Formerly 17 June in West Germany, commemorating the Workers' Uprising of 1953 in East Germany, also known as the "Day of German Unity". East Germany's national day was 7 October, the founding of the state in 1949.
7	On these days, schools are closed all over the state.
8	For states where not all holidays are observed consistently, the most widespread combination is given. Bavaria: including Assumption Day, excluding Peace Festival; Saxony and Thuringia: excluding Corpus Christi.

Good Friday and Holy Saturday are socalled "quiet days". Quiet days are days, where certain restrictions apply, as defined by local state authority. An example of this is the ban on dancing on Good Friday, which is observed in almost all German states.

Custom about holidays

Either Carnival Monday ("Rose Monday") or Mardi Gras is a de facto holiday in some towns and cities in Catholic western and southern Germany which have a strong Carnival tradition.

Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) and Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) are both always on Thursdays. By taking only one day's leave, employees can have a four-day weekend.

The Three Kings Day, better known as Epiphany, is 6 January, the day after the 12 days of Christmas. In parts of Germany, it has its own local customs.

Public holidays in the former German Democratic Republic

See Also

• Holidays in Nazi Germany