Last reviewed on October 4, 2026.
How Public Holidays Work in Germany
Only one public holiday is set by federal law — the Day of German Unity on 3 October. All the others are set by each of the 16 states, which is why the number of holidays varies from 10 in states such as Berlin, Hamburg and Lower Saxony to 13 in much of Bavaria. Nine holidays apply everywhere; the rest depend on the state and, in Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia, sometimes on the municipality. Holidays that fall on a weekend are not moved to a weekday.
On public holidays shops, offices and most supermarkets are closed, and buses and trains run Sunday timetables. Petrol stations, restaurants, museums and shops in major railway stations and airports usually stay open.
Public Holidays 2026 and 2027 by State
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day (Neujahr) | Thu 1 Jan | Fri 1 Jan | All states |
| Epiphany (Heilige Drei Könige) | Tue 6 Jan | Wed 6 Jan | Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt |
| International Women's Day (Frauentag) | Sun 8 Mar | Mon 8 Mar | Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
| Good Friday (Karfreitag) | Fri 3 Apr | Fri 26 Mar | All states |
| Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag) | Sun 5 Apr | Sun 28 Mar | Brandenburg (officially; Sunday anyway) |
| Easter Monday (Ostermontag) | Mon 6 Apr | Mon 29 Mar | All states |
| Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit) | Fri 1 May | Sat 1 May | All states |
| Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) | Thu 14 May | Thu 6 May | All states |
| Whit Sunday (Pfingstsonntag) | Sun 24 May | Sun 16 May | Brandenburg (officially; Sunday anyway) |
| Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag) | Mon 25 May | Mon 17 May | All states |
| Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) | Thu 4 Jun | Thu 27 May | Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland; some Catholic municipalities in Saxony and Thuringia |
| Augsburg Peace Festival (Friedensfest) | Sat 8 Aug | Sun 8 Aug | City of Augsburg (Bavaria) only |
| Assumption Day (Mariä Himmelfahrt) | Sat 15 Aug | Sun 15 Aug | Saarland; Bavarian municipalities with a Catholic majority |
| World Children's Day (Weltkindertag) | Sun 20 Sep | Mon 20 Sep | Thuringia |
| Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) | Sat 3 Oct | Sun 3 Oct | All states (national holiday) |
| Reformation Day (Reformationstag) | Sat 31 Oct | Sun 31 Oct | Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia |
| All Saints' Day (Allerheiligen) | Sun 1 Nov | Mon 1 Nov | Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland |
| Repentance and Prayer Day (Buß- und Bettag) | Wed 18 Nov | Wed 17 Nov | Saxony |
| Christmas Day (1. Weihnachtstag) | Fri 25 Dec | Sat 25 Dec | All states |
| St Stephen's Day (2. Weihnachtstag) | Sat 26 Dec | Sun 26 Dec | All states |
Number of Public Holidays per State
| State | Statutory public holidays per year |
|---|---|
| Bavaria | 13 (Augsburg 14); Assumption only in Catholic-majority municipalities |
| Baden-Württemberg | 12 |
| Saarland | 12 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 11 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | 11 |
| Hesse | 10 |
| Saxony | 11 (plus Corpus Christi in some municipalities) |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 11 |
| Thuringia | 11 (plus Corpus Christi in Eichsfeld municipalities) |
| Berlin | 10 |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 11 |
| Brandenburg | 12 incl. Easter and Whit Sunday |
| Bremen | 10 |
| Hamburg | 10 |
| Lower Saxony | 10 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 10 |
Tips for Travellers
- Check the state, not just the date. Crossing from Hesse into Thuringia on Corpus Christi, or from Saxony into Bavaria on Reformation Day, can mean going from open shops to closed ones within an hour.
- Plan around Easter and Whitsun. Good Friday to Easter Monday is a four-day closure for most shops, and trains, motorways and holiday regions are busy. Some states also have "silent days" (stille Tage), such as Good Friday, on which dance events are restricted.
- Bridge days. When a holiday falls on a Thursday — Ascension and Corpus Christi always do — many Germans take the Friday off, so expect crowds in popular regions over those long weekends.
- School holidays differ too. Each state sets its own school holiday dates, staggered across the country, which matters more for hotel prices than public holidays do. See our best time to visit Germany guide.
Sources
- Federal Ministry of the Interior — overview of public holidays in Germany
- State public-holiday laws (Feiertagsgesetze) of the 16 states
This page is general information, not legal advice. Local exceptions (for example in individual Bavarian or Saxon municipalities) are not all listed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which German state has the most public holidays?
Bavaria, with 13 in municipalities with a Catholic majority (14 in the city of Augsburg). Baden-Württemberg and Saarland have 12.
Is Reformation Day a holiday in all of Germany?
No — only in Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. It was a one-off national holiday in 2017 for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
Are shops open on public holidays in Germany?
Generally no. Supermarkets and most shops are closed; exceptions are shops in large train stations and airports, petrol-station shops, bakeries for a few hours in some states, and tourist resorts with special rules.
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday in Germany?
No, but most shops close around 14:00 and Christmas markets end early that day. 25 and 26 December are public holidays everywhere.