Planning a vacation, trip, or relocation to Germany in 2026-2027? Then you simply must sync your clock with the German calendar. In this article, we’ll examine the full calendar of German public holidays in 2026 and 2027, discover why people in Germany never carry over lost weekends, and share clever life hacks for squeezing out the most free days using the concept of “mini-vacations.”
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Public holidays (Gesetzliche Feiertage) 2026-2027 in Germany
Below are tables of German public holidays in 2026 and 2027. Please note that of the 19 dates listed, only nine are observed throughout Germany. The remaining 10 days are public holidays only in certain states (in whole or in part). We have indicated these holidays by number in parentheses. A separate list shows which states observe these holidays.
2026
| Date | Day of the week | National holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1st | Thursday | New Year | All over the country |
| January 6 | Tuesday | Three Holy Kings | (1) |
| March 8 | Sunday | International Women’s Day | (2) |
| April 3 | Friday | Sorrowful Friday | All over the country |
| April 5 | Sunday | Easter Sunday | (3) |
| April 6 | Monday | Easter Monday | All over the country |
| May 1st | Friday | Labor Day / May 1 | All over the country |
| May 14 | Thursday | Ascension of Christ | All over the country |
| May 24 | Sunday | Pentecost Sunday | (4) |
| May 25 | Monday | Monday of Pentecost | All over the country |
| June 4 | Thursday | The Body of the Lord | (5) |
| August 15 | Saturday | Assumption of Mary | (6) |
| September 20 | Sunday | World Children’s Day | (7) |
| October 3 | Saturday | Day of German Unity | All over the country |
| October 31 | Saturday | Reformation Day | (8) |
| November 1 | Sunday | All Saints’ Day | (9) |
| November 18 | Wednesday | Day of Repentance and Prayer | (10) |
| December 25 | Friday | The first day of Christmas | All over the country |
| December 26 | Saturday | The second day of Christmas | All over the country |
2027
| Date | Day of the week | National holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1st | Friday | New Year | All over the country |
| January 6 | Wednesday | Three Holy Kings | (1) |
| March 8 | Monday | International Women’s Day | (2) |
| March 26 | Friday | Sorrowful Friday | All over the country |
| March 28 | Sunday | Easter Sunday | (3) |
| March 29 | Monday | Easter Monday | All over the country |
| May 1st | Saturday | Labor Day / May 1 | All over the country |
| May 6 | Thursday | Ascension of Christ | All over the country |
| May 16 | Sunday | Pentecost Sunday | (4) |
| May 17 | Monday | Monday of Pentecost | All over the country |
| May 27 | Thursday | The Body of the Lord | (5) |
| August 15 | Sunday | Assumption of Mary | (6) |
| September 20 | Monday | World Children’s Day | (7) |
| October 3 | Sunday | Day of German Unity | All over the country |
| October 31 | Sunday | Reformation Day | (8) |
| November 1 | Monday | All Saints’ Day | (9) |
| November 17 | Wednesday | Day of Repentance and Prayer | (10) |
| December 25 | Saturday | The first day of Christmas | All over the country |
| December 26 | Sunday | The second day of Christmas | All over the country |
List of federal states where holidays are celebrated
- (1) – Three Holy Kings – Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt.
- (2) – International Women’s Day – Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
- (3) – Easter Sunday – Brandenburg.
- (4) – Pentecost Sunday – Brandenburg.
- (5) – Body of the Lord – Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland.
- (6) – Assumption of Mary – Bavaria (in Catholic areas, see below), Saarland.
- (7) – World Children’s Day – Thuringia.
- (8) – Reformation Day – Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia.
- (9) – All Saints’ Day – Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland.
- (10) – Day of Repentance and Prayer – Saxony.
Assumption of Mary in Bavaria
This holiday is celebrated only in those municipalities where Catholics make up more than 50% of the population. On the page Mariä Himmelfahrt You can check whether it’s celebrated in your municipality and view a list of all municipalities. There you’ll also find a link to the latest map of municipalities in Bavaria where Assumption of Mary is a public holiday.
Public holidays and school holidays
The school holiday schedule in Germany is based on public holidays. However, different federal states may have their own approaches. For example, the Christmas holidays in the federal state of Saarland officially end on Thursday, December 31, 2026. However, January 1, 2027, is a public holiday, New Year’s Day, followed by a Saturday and Sunday. This means that children effectively return to school on January 4.
In some federal states, the situation is reversed. For example, the Christmas holidays in Schleswig-Holstein end on Tuesday, January 6, 2027. This state has a clever approach: there is no official holiday dedicated to the Three Holy Kings, but the day is included in the school holidays.
You can see the dates of school holidays in the publication “School holidays in Germany 2026-2027 (exact dates for all federal states)“. It contains only reliable information from official sources.
Compensation and transfer of holidays
Many countries have a practice of moving public holidays if they fall on a weekend. Germany has no such rule. If an official holiday falls on a weekend, it is forfeited and no compensation is provided.
If an employee goes to work on a holiday, Section 11 of the Working Hours Act (§ 11 Ausgleich für Sonn- und Feiertagsbeschäftigung (ArbZG)) Clearly regulates compensation. Employees must receive an additional day off within eight weeks.
There’s a myth that employees are entitled to extra pay on public holidays. In fact, the law says nothing about this, but the reality is slightly different. Financial compensation (a supplement to the regular rate, usually 50-150% of the regular rate) is often paid for three reasons:
- Trade unions in Germany almost always stipulate large bonuses in collective agreements (Tarifvertrag).
- Financial compensation may be fixed in an internal company agreement (Betriebsvereinbarung).
- Individual employment contracts (Arbeitsvertrag) often provide for additional pay for working on holidays.
How to arrange additional leave in 2026 and 2027?
In the Federal Republic of Germany, there is a practice of mini-vacations (so-called “long weekends”). If a public holiday falls on Tuesday, people take Monday off and have four days off (Saturday through Tuesday). If a public holiday falls on Thursday, they can take Friday off and have four days off (Thursday through Sunday). You can find a list of such days in the tables below.
When to take time off in 2026
| When to take a day off | Start | The end | Corresponding holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2 (Friday) | January 1 (Thursday) | January 4 (Sunday) | New Year |
| January 5 (Monday) | January 3 (Saturday) | January 6 (Tuesday) | Three Holy Kings |
| May 15 (Friday) | May 14 (Thursday) | May 17 (Sunday) | Ascension of Christ |
| June 5 (Friday) | June 4 (Thursday) | June 7 (Sunday) | The Body of the Lord |
PLEASE NOTE! The Three Holy Kings’ Day (Heilige Drei Könige) is celebrated only in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Saxony-Anhalt. If you live in one of these federal states, you can take a six-day holiday. Take the weekend of January 2nd and 5th—then you’ll have Thursday through Tuesday off (January 1st through 6th, 2026)!
Long Weekend Opportunities in 2027
| When to take a day off | Start | The end | Corresponding holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 6 (Thursday) | May 3 (Monday) | May 6 (Thursday) | Ascension of Christ |
| May 27 (Thursday) | May 27 (Thursday) | May 30 (Sunday) | The Body of the Lord |
If you’re planning a road trip, you should read our article “German Autobahn Traffic Congestion During the 2026 School Holidays: An Analytical Forecast.” It contains not only reference information but also official, helpful tools (free apps, online maps) to help you plan your trip or move.
In this publication we covered the following topic: public holidays 2026-2027 in Germany. De-Sf.Info You can find more up-to-date information about school holidays and public holidays in different federal states of Germany.. Don’t forget to share this post with your friends!
