Germany · Feiertage

German Public Holidays

Germany has 9 nationwide public holidays; each federal state adds its own, so the total varies by region. Here is the full list in English, with which states observe the regional ones.

Nationwide public holidays 2026 (all 16 states)

HolidayGerman nameDate 2026
New Year's Day Neujahr Thu 1 January
Good Friday Karfreitag Fri 3 April
Easter Monday Ostermontag Mon 6 April
Labour Day Tag der Arbeit Fri 1 May
Ascension Day Christi Himmelfahrt Thu 14 May
Whit Monday Pfingstmontag Mon 25 May
German Unity Day Tag der Deutschen Einheit Sat 3 October
Christmas Day 1. Weihnachtstag Fri 25 December
Boxing Day 2. Weihnachtstag Sat 26 December

Regional public holidays 2026 (selected states only)

HolidayGerman nameDate 2026States
Epiphany Heilige Drei Könige Tue 6 January BW · BY · ST
International Women's Day Internationaler Frauentag Sun 8 March BE · MV
Easter Sunday Ostersonntag Sun 5 April BB
Whit Sunday Pfingstsonntag Sun 24 May BB
Corpus Christi Fronleichnam Thu 4 June BW · BY · HE · NW · RP · SL
Assumption Day Mariä Himmelfahrt Sat 15 August SL
World Children's Day Weltkindertag Sun 20 September TH
Reformation Day Reformationstag Sat 31 October BB · HB · HH · MV · NI · SN · ST · SH · TH
All Saints' Day Allerheiligen Sun 1 November BW · BY · NW · RP · SL
Repentance Day Buß- und Bettag Wed 18 November SN

State codes: BW Baden-Württemberg · BY Bavaria · BB Brandenburg · HB Bremen · HH Hamburg · HE Hesse · MV Mecklenburg-Vorpommern · NI Lower Saxony · NW North Rhine-Westphalia · RP Rhineland-Palatinate · SL Saarland · SN Saxony · ST Saxony-Anhalt · SH Schleswig-Holstein · TH Thuringia.

Working time in Germany

German working hours calculator→ Break rules in Germany (§ 4 ArbZG)→ Overtime in Germany→ Time & countdown calculators→

Frequently asked questions

There are 9 nationwide public holidays. Individual federal states add their own, so the total ranges from 10 (e.g. Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg) up to 13 or 14 in states such as Bavaria, depending on the region.
Bavaria has the most, with up to 13 (14 in the mainly Catholic city of Augsburg, which also observes the Augsburg Peace Festival). Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia have the fewest.
Yes. If a public holiday falls on a normal working day, employees keep their pay under the Continued Remuneration Act (§ 2 EFZG) — they do not have to make up the hours. Holiday work usually attracts a premium and may be tax-privileged under § 3b EStG.
Yes. A public holiday on a working day reduces that week's target working time by the hours you would normally have worked; those hours are not owed and cannot be reclaimed by the employer.
Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring, and Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension, Whit Monday and Corpus Christi are all derived from it. Their calendar dates therefore change every year.

Note: This calculator and its content offer general guidance based on the assumptions given and do not constitute legal advice. The applicable statute, collective agreement and employment contract prevail.