Public Holidays in Germany 2026: Dates, Days Off, and Seasonal Traditions

Holidays in Germany include nationwide days off, regional Feiertage, and cultural dates that are not official holidays. For everyday life, study, travel, and holiday planning, the two most important things to know are which federal state you are in and which movable holidays change date every year.

What to Know About Feiertage

In Germany, some holidays apply throughout the country, while others depend on the federal state. For example, Karfreitag, Ostermontag, Tag der Arbeit, Christi Himmelfahrt, Pfingstmontag, Tag der Deutschen Einheit, and the two Christmas days are days off throughout Germany. Heilige Drei Könige, Fronleichnam, Reformationstag, Allerheiligen, Mariä Himmelfahrt, and Buß- und Bettag depend on the state or even on the individual municipality.

If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the additional day off is generally not moved to Monday. That is why the calendar for the specific year matters.

Winter: Advent, Christmas, New Year, and Carnival

Winter in Germany begins with the pre-Christmas season: markets, candles, family gatherings, and the first carnival events gradually lead up to Christmas and Fasching.

Adventszeit — Advent

Adventszeit lasts for the four Sundays before Christmas. In 2026, the first Sunday of Advent falls on 29 November and the fourth on 20 December.

Key traditions:

• Adventskranz — a wreath with four candles, one for each Sunday;
• Adventskalender — a calendar with 24 little windows, from 1 to 24 December;
• decorating homes with stars, garlands, and candles;
• Christmas markets with mulled wine, gingerbread, and gifts.

In Dresden, Nuremberg, Cologne, and other cities, Advent season becomes the main winter season for walks and short trips.

Nikolaustag — St Nicholas Day, 6 December

Nikolaustag is not a nationwide public holiday, but it is one of the most recognisable children’s celebrations. On the evening of 5 December, children leave out a clean shoe, sock, or little bag, and in the morning find sweets, mandarins, and small gifts.

The tradition is particularly visible in southern Germany: Bavaria and neighbouring regions hold small performances, Nikolaus visits, and children’s songs.

Heiligabend and Weihnachten — 24–26 December

Heiligabend on 24 December is not a federal day off for the entire day, but many shops and offices have shorter opening hours. The first and second Christmas days, 25 and 26 December, are official holidays throughout Germany.

Typical traditions:

• a family dinner and exchanging gifts on the evening of 24 December;
• a decorated Weihnachtsbaum;
• church services and family gatherings;
• Christmas markets before the holidays;
• regional dishes, baked goods, and sweets.

Christmas in Germany is usually more family-oriented and quiet than New Year’s Eve.

Silvester and Neujahr — 31 December and 1 January

Silvester is celebrated on the evening of 31 December with parties, toasts, countdowns, fireworks, and wishes of Guten Rutsch. Neujahrstag on 1 January is an official day off throughout Germany.

Fireworks are subject to safety rules and local restrictions. Some cities and areas may impose bans, especially near historic buildings, hospitals, care homes, or in areas at increased risk of fire.

Bleigießen, fortune-telling with molten lead, is now often replaced with safer wax or tin sets.

Heilige Drei Könige — 6 January

Heilige Drei Könige is an official holiday in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and Saxony-Anhalt. In other states, it is an ordinary working day.

The main tradition is Sternsinger: children dressed as the Three Wise Men go from house to house, sing, collect charitable donations, and write a blessing in chalk above the door.

Rosenmontag, Fastnacht, and Aschermittwoch

The carnival season is particularly prominent in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Mainz, and southwestern Germany. In 2026, Rosenmontag falls on 16 February, Fastnachtsdienstag on 17 February, and Aschermittwoch on 18 February.

Fasching Carnival is not a nationwide public holiday, but schools, institutions, and companies in carnival regions may follow special schedules.

Traditions:

• parades, costumes, and masquerades;
• Kamelle — sweets thrown from carnival floats;
• political satire on floats;
• regional forms of Fastnacht in Baden, Swabia, and the Black Forest.

Aschermittwoch begins Fastenzeit — Lent. For many people, it is a religious date, but observing Lent in Germany usually depends on personal tradition.

Spring: Easter, May Day, and Family Dates

Germany has many movable dates in spring. They depend on Easter, so the calendar changes every year.

Karfreitag — Good Friday, 3 April 2026

Karfreitag is an official holiday in every federal state. It is one of the “quiet days”: many states restrict dancing, loud concerts, and entertainment events.

Church services, processions, and quiet family gatherings take place on this day. Shops are usually closed, as on other public Feiertage.

Ostern and Ostermontag — 5–6 April 2026

Easter Sunday in 2026 falls on 5 April, and Ostermontag on 6 April. Easter Monday is an official holiday throughout Germany.

Easter in Germany is a family spring holiday with coloured eggs, chocolate bunnies, gift hunts, and festive meals. In some regions, Osterfeuer — Easter bonfires — are lit.

Tag der Arbeit — Labour Day, 1 May

1 May is an official holiday throughout Germany. Major cities host trade-union demonstrations and political rallies, while smaller towns hold festivities, music events, and Maibaum ceremonies.

May Day often opens the season for picnics, trips into nature, and long weekends when the date can be combined well with annual leave.

Muttertag — Mother’s Day, 10 May 2026

Muttertag is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. In 2026, it is on 10 May. It is not an official holiday, but it is a popular family occasion.

Children typically give cards, flowers, and small gifts, while families meet for breakfast, a walk, or a visit to a café. Mother’s Day is especially visible in schools, kindergartens, and flower shops.

Christi Himmelfahrt — Ascension Day, 14 May 2026

Christi Himmelfahrt always falls on a Thursday and is an official holiday throughout Germany. In 2026, it falls on 14 May.

On the same day, Vatertag is widely celebrated in Germany: groups of friends go hiking or cycling, sometimes with decorated wagons, drinks, and snacks. Many people take Friday as a Brückentag to create a long weekend.

Pfingsten and Pfingstmontag — 24–25 May 2026

Pfingstsonntag in 2026 falls on 24 May, and Pfingstmontag on 25 May. Monday is an official holiday throughout Germany.

Pentecost is often seen as the beginning of the summer season: festivals, fairs, first trips, outdoor pools, and short school breaks in some states.

Summer: Catholic Holidays, School Breaks, and Regional Events

There are fewer official Feiertage in summer, but many regional church dates, school holidays, and city festivals.

Fronleichnam — Corpus Christi, 4 June 2026

Fronleichnam is observed on the Thursday 60 days after Easter. In 2026, it is on 4 June.

It is an official holiday in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland, as well as in individual communities in Saxony and Thuringia. In Catholic regions, processions take place and streets are decorated with flowers, flags, and petal carpets.

Johannistag — St John’s Day, 24 June

Johannistag is associated with John the Baptist and midsummer traditions around the solstice. It is not an official holiday.

On the evening of 23 June, some regions light Johannisfeuer, hold fairs, music evenings, and village celebrations. For many, it symbolises the transition into high summer.

Mariä Himmelfahrt — 15 August

Mariä Himmelfahrt is an official holiday in Saarland and in those Bavarian municipalities where most residents are Catholic. In other states, it is an ordinary working day.

Traditions include the blessing of Kräuterbuschen — bouquets of summer herbs — church services, local fairs, and processions.

Sommerferien — School Summer Holidays

Sommerferien are not a public holiday, but they strongly affect traffic, prices, queues, and family schedules. Dates vary by federal state and are distributed annually to reduce pressure on roads and tourist destinations.

During this period, the following are especially noticeable:

• holiday trips within Germany and abroad;
• heavy traffic on the Autobahn;
• festivals, open-air cinemas, and temporary attractions;
• changes to school, club, and children’s programme schedules.

Autumn: Unity Day, Reformation, and Days of Remembrance

In autumn, Germany moves from harvest festivals to public and religious commemorative dates. Some are days off only in certain states.

Tag der Deutschen Einheit — 3 October

Tag der Deutschen Einheit is Germany’s only national holiday established at federal level. It commemorates the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990 and is an official holiday throughout the country.

German Unity Day is marked each year by central events in the state holding the Bundesrat presidency: concerts, civic festivals, state ceremonies, and programmes about the history of reunification take place.

In 2026, 3 October falls on a Saturday, so there will generally be no additional weekday off.

Erntedankfest — Harvest Festival, 4 October 2026

Erntedankfest is most often celebrated on the first Sunday in October. In 2026, it is on 4 October. In some rural regions, harvest festivals begin as early as late August or September.

Traditions:

• decorating churches and squares with harvest produce;
• Früchtekrone — a crown made of ears of grain and fruit;
• agricultural machinery parades;
• fairs, concerts, and communal meals.

It is a cultural and church festival, but not a separate official day off.

Reformationstag — 31 October

Reformationstag is an official holiday in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein.

The holiday recalls the beginning of the Reformation and is traditionally associated with church services, museum programmes, school projects, and Lutherwege routes. In 2026, 31 October falls on a Saturday.

Halloween — the Evening of 31 October

Halloween is not an official Feiertag, but it has become a popular urban and children’s event. Children say “Süßes oder Saures,” shops decorate their windows, and parties, pumpkin festivals, and themed events take place.

In states where 31 October is also Reformationstag, shop and event schedules may differ. Halloween remains more of a cultural tradition than an official holiday.

Allerheiligen — 1 November

Allerheiligen is the Catholic day of remembrance for all saints and the deceased. It is an official holiday in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland.

Traditions:

• visiting cemeteries;
• decorating graves with flowers and candles;
• family moments of remembrance;
• a quiet atmosphere and restrictions on noisy events in some states.

In 2026, 1 November falls on a Sunday.

Martinstag — 11 November

Martinstag is dedicated to St Martin, who, according to tradition, shared his cloak with a person in need. It is not an official holiday, but it is an important celebration for families with children.

St Martin’s Day is celebrated with Laternenumzug — lantern processions — songs, school performances, and the traditional dish Martinsgans.

Volkstrauertag — 15 November 2026

Volkstrauertag is a day of remembrance for those killed in wars and victims of violence. In 2026, it falls on 15 November. It is not a day off, but it is observed at state level.

Ceremonies, wreath-laying, moments of silence, and a central event in the Bundestag are usually held.

Buß- und Bettag — 18 November 2026

Buß- und Bettag is the Protestant Day of Repentance and Prayer. In 2026, it falls on 18 November. It is an official holiday only in Saxony.

Church services, school, and parish events take place on this day, and public life retains a more subdued tone.

Totensonntag — 22 November 2026

Totensonntag is the Protestant day of commemoration for the dead, the last Sunday before Advent. In 2026, it falls on 22 November.

Traditions:

• visiting cemeteries;
• candles and flowers on graves;
• memorial services;
• restrictions on noisy events in a number of states.

It is a day of remembrance, but not an additional official day off.

Germany’s 2026 Holiday Table

Holiday	Date in 2026	Where it is a day off
Neujahrstag — New Year’s Day	1 January, Thursday	All of Germany
Heilige Drei Könige	6 January, Tuesday	BW, BY, ST
Rosenmontag	16 February, Monday	Not a nationwide public holiday
Aschermittwoch	18 February, Wednesday	Not a day off
Karfreitag	3 April, Friday	All of Germany
Ostersonntag	5 April, Sunday	Special status in some states; not a normal working day because it is Sunday
Ostermontag	6 April, Monday	All of Germany
Tag der Arbeit	1 May, Friday	All of Germany
Muttertag	10 May, Sunday	Not a day off
Christi Himmelfahrt	14 May, Thursday	All of Germany
Pfingstsonntag	24 May, Sunday	Special status in some states; not a normal working day because it is Sunday
Pfingstmontag	25 May, Monday	All of Germany
Fronleichnam	4 June, Thursday	BW, BY, HE, NRW, RP, SL, individual municipalities in SN and TH
Johannistag	24 June, Wednesday	Not a day off
Mariä Himmelfahrt	15 August, Saturday	SL and Catholic municipalities in BY
Tag der Deutschen Einheit	3 October, Saturday	All of Germany
Erntedankfest	4 October, Sunday	Not a day off
Reformationstag	31 October, Saturday	BB, MV, SN, ST, TH, HB, HH, NI, SH
Halloween	31 October, Saturday	Not a day off
Allerheiligen	1 November, Sunday	BW, BY, NRW, RP, SL
Martinstag	11 November, Wednesday	Not a day off
Volkstrauertag	15 November, Sunday	Not a day off
Buß- und Bettag	18 November, Wednesday	SN only
Totensonntag	22 November, Sunday	Not a day off
1. Weihnachtsfeiertag	25 December, Friday	All of Germany
2. Weihnachtsfeiertag	26 December, Saturday	All of Germany

How to Use the Calendar

For everyday life, check not only the date but also the federal state. This matters for schools, kindergartens, banks, shops, doctors’ offices, public authorities, and travel between regions.

If you are planning a holiday, check Brückentage in advance: in 2026, the periods around 1 May, Christi Himmelfahrt, Fronleichnam in Catholic states, and Christmas are particularly convenient. Families with children should also check their state’s school holidays separately, because Sommerferien and other Ferien do not coincide throughout Germany.