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Public holidays in Germany

Except for national holidays, public holidays in Germany (gesetzliche Feiertage) are determined by the federal states.

Public Holidays
Date English Name Local Name Remarks
January 1 New Year's Day Neujahr  
January 6 Epiphany Hl. Drei Könige in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony-Anhalt
moveable Good Friday Karfreitag  
moveable Easter Monday Ostermontag  
May 1 May Day Tag der Arbeit  
moveable Ascension Day Christi Himmelfahrt  
moveable Whitmonday Pfingstmontag  
moveable Corpus Christi Fronleichnam in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, NRW, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and some communities in Saxony and Thuringia
August 15 Assumption Day Mariä Himmelfahrt in Saarland, and in Bavarian communities with mostly Catholic population
October 3 German Unity Day Tag der Deutschen Einheit national holiday since 1990; used to be on June 17th up to 1990, celebrating the Workers Uprising of 1953 in East Germany
October 31 Reformation Day Reformationstag in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg
November 1 All Saints Allerheiligen in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, NRW, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland
moveable Penance Day Buß- und Bettag Saxony; national holiday until 1994. Saxony is the only state, because Saxons haven't to pay the nursing care insurance.
December 25 Christmas Day 1. Weihnachtsfeiertag  
December 26 Boxing Day 2. Weihnachtsfeiertag  

The only town in Germany which has its own additional public holiday is Augsburg. The Friedensfest ("Peace Festival") is celebrated on August 8.

Either Carnival Monday ("Rose Monday") or Mardi Gras is a de facto holiday in many towns and cities in catholic western and southern Germany which have a strong Carnival tradition.

External Links

Website of the German Department of the Interior



Last updated: 10-24-2004 05:10:45