Nationwide public holidays 2026
These apply in all 16 states:
|
Date |
Day |
Holiday |
German name |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Jan 1 |
Thu |
New Year’s Day |
Neujahrstag |
|
Apr 3 |
Fri |
Good Friday |
Karfreitag |
|
Apr 6 |
Mon |
Easter Monday |
Ostermontag |
|
May 1 |
Fri |
Labour Day / May Day |
Tag der Arbeit |
|
May 14 |
Thu |
Ascension Day |
Christi Himmelfahrt |
|
May 25 |
Mon |
Whit Monday / Pentecost Monday |
Pfingstmontag |
|
Oct 3 |
Sat |
Day of German Unity |
Tag der Deutschen Einheit |
|
Dec 25 |
Fri |
Christmas Day |
|
Major regional/state holidays 2026
These are only public holidays in specific states:
|
Date |
Day |
Holiday |
Where it’s a public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Jan 6 |
Tue |
Epiphany / Three King’s Day |
Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt |
|
Mar 8 |
Sun |
International Women’s Day |
Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
|
Apr 5 |
Sun |
Easter Sunday |
Brandenburg |
|
May 24 |
Sun |
Whit Sunday / Pentecost |
Brandenburg |
|
Jun 4 |
Thu |
Corpus Christi |
BW, BY, HE, NW, RP, SL, parts of SN & TH |
|
Aug 15 |
Sat |
Assumption Day |
Saarland, parts of Bavaria |
|
Sep 20 |
Sun |
World Children’s Day |
Thuringia |
|
Oct 31 |
Sat |
Reformation Day |
BB, HB, HH, MV, NI, SH, SN, ST, TH |
|
Nov 1 |
Sun |
All Saints’ Day |
BW, BY, NW, RP, SL |
|
Nov 18 |
Wed |
Repentance Day / Day of Prayer |
Saxony |
- Oct 3, Dec 26, Aug 15, Oct 31Â all fall on Saturday in 2026, so no extra weekday off.
- Easter 2026: Good Friday Apr 3, Easter Sunday Apr 5, Easter Monday Apr 6.
- Bridge days: With May 1 on Fri, May 14 on Thu, and Dec 25 on Fri, 2026 has some nice long weekends.
Other observances in 2026
Not public holidays, but widely observed:
- 16 Feb – Shrove Monday / Fastnacht
- 17 Feb – Carnival Tuesday
- 29 Mar – Daylight Saving Time starts
- 10 May – Mother’s Day
- 14 May – Father’s Day / Vatertag, same day as Ascension
Quick notes for planning:
- Bridge days: With 1 Jan, 14 May, and 25 Dec falling on Thu/Fri, you get easy long weekends.
- Quiet days: Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day have special Tanzverbot rules – many events, clubs, and loud activities are restricted.
- State differences: Bavaria has the most holidays at 13 total, while Berlin and Hamburg have the fewest at 10