German Public Holidays 2026 by State
Rules for Germany
Germany has nine public holidays in every state in 2026; the other holidays differ by state. The table lists each holiday, its date and weekday, and which states observe it.
German holidays 2026 by state
A dot means the holiday is a statutory public holiday in that state. The last rows count the holidays per state; “Monday to Friday” leaves out holidays that fall on a weekend. Dates and weekdays follow the official state laws.
Swipe sideways to see all states.
| Holiday | BW | BY | BE | BB | HB | HH | HE | MV | NI | NW | RP | SL | SN | ST | SH | TH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, 1 Jan New Year's Day | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Tue, 6 Jan Epiphany | ● | ● | ● | |||||||||||||
| Sun, 8 Mar International Women's Day | ● | ● | ||||||||||||||
| Fri, 3 Apr Good Friday | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Sun, 5 Apr Easter Sunday | ● | |||||||||||||||
| Mon, 6 Apr Easter Monday | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Fri, 1 May Labour Day | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Thu, 14 May Ascension Day | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Sun, 24 May Whit Sunday | ● | |||||||||||||||
| Mon, 25 May Whit Monday | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Thu, 4 Jun Corpus Christi | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||||||
| Sat, 15 Aug Assumption Day | partial | ● | ||||||||||||||
| Sun, 20 Sep World Children's Day | ● | |||||||||||||||
| Sat, 3 Oct German Unity Day | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Sat, 31 Oct Reformation Day | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||||
| Sun, 1 Nov All Saints' Day | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||||||||
| Wed, 18 Nov Day of Repentance and Prayer | ● | |||||||||||||||
| Fri, 25 Dec Christmas Day | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Sat, 26 Dec St Stephen's Day | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Holidays in total | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
| of which Monday to Friday | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Use the dates
Count the working days between two dates for your state with the working days calculator, or find the best bridge days with the bridge day planner.
Frequently asked questions
Which public holidays apply in all German states?
New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, German Unity Day and both Christmas days.
Why do the states have different holidays?
Public holidays are set by each state's own law. Epiphany, Corpus Christi, All Saints' Day, Reformation Day and Women's Day, for example, apply in some states only.
Is Assumption Day a holiday in Bavaria?
Only in municipalities with a mostly Catholic population. The table marks it as partial for Bavaria and lists it as a full holiday for the Saarland.
Do I get a day off when a holiday falls on a weekend?
Not by law. A holiday on a Saturday or Sunday does not create a replacement day in Germany; your contract may say otherwise.
Are 24 and 31 December public holidays?
No, in no state. Many employers still give them as days off or half days.
Sources and methodology
- Baden-Württemberg: Feiertagsgesetz (FTG) § 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Bayern: Feiertagsgesetz (FTG) Art. 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Berlin: Gesetz über die Sonn- und Feiertage (FeiertG BE) § 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Brandenburg: Feiertagsgesetz (FTG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Bremen: Gesetz über die Sonn-, Gedenk- und Feiertage § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Hamburg: Feiertagsgesetz § 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Hessen: Hessisches Feiertagsgesetz (HFeiertagsG) § 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Gesetz über Sonn- und Feiertage (FTG M-V) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Niedersachsen: Niedersächsisches Gesetz über die Feiertage (NFeiertagsG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Nordrhein-Westfalen: Feiertagsgesetz NW § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Rheinland-Pfalz: Landesgesetz über den Schutz der Sonn- und Feiertage (LFtG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Saarland: Gesetz Nr. 1040 über die Sonn- und Feiertage (SFG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Sachsen: Gesetz über Sonn- und Feiertage (SächsSFG) § 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Sachsen-Anhalt: Gesetz über die Sonn- und Feiertage (FeiertG LSA) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Schleswig-Holstein: Gesetz über Sonn- und Feiertage (SFTG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Thüringen: Feier- und Gedenktagsgesetz (ThürFGtG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
Last updated 2026-10-20.Read how we calculate for our verification process.
This page is for information only. For legal or tax questions, check the official sources listed above.