Public holidays in Germany, by federal state
Nine statutory public holidays apply in all sixteen states. Everything beyond that is governed by the respective state law: Bavaria reaches thirteen, while Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein have ten. What always counts is the place of work, not the place of residence and not the company's registered office.
As at: 15. September 2026
- 9nationwide
- 7on working days in 2026
- 10–13per state
The nine nationwide public holidays
They apply everywhere, and only one of them is set in a federal law: German Unity Day, in the Unification Treaty. Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Whit Monday follow Easter Sunday and move every year.
| Date | Holiday | Applies | Weekday |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | nationwide | Thursday | |
| Good Friday | nationwide | Friday | |
| Easter Monday | nationwide | Monday | |
| Labour Day | nationwide | Friday | |
| Ascension Day | nationwide | Thursday | |
| Whit Monday | nationwide | Monday | |
| German Unity Day | nationwide | SaturdayWeekend | |
| Christmas Day | nationwide | Friday | |
| Boxing Day | nationwide | SaturdayWeekend |
| Date | Holiday | Applies | Weekday |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | nationwide | Friday | |
| Good Friday | nationwide | Friday | |
| Easter Monday | nationwide | Monday | |
| Labour Day | nationwide | SaturdayWeekend | |
| Ascension Day | nationwide | Thursday | |
| Whit Monday | nationwide | Monday | |
| German Unity Day | nationwide | SundayWeekend | |
| Christmas Day | nationwide | SaturdayWeekend | |
| Boxing Day | nationwide | SundayWeekend |
| Date | Holiday | Applies | Weekday |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | nationwide | SaturdayWeekend | |
| Good Friday | nationwide | Friday | |
| Easter Monday | nationwide | Monday | |
| Labour Day | nationwide | Monday | |
| Ascension Day | nationwide | Thursday | |
| Whit Monday | nationwide | Monday | |
| German Unity Day | nationwide | Tuesday | |
| Christmas Day | nationwide | Monday | |
| Boxing Day | nationwide | Tuesday |
What sets the states apart
The differences are almost entirely denominational: Corpus Christi, All Saints' Day and Assumption Day in the Catholic-leaning states, Reformation Day in the Protestant-leaning ones. Plus three more recent decisions: Berlin in 2019, Thuringia in 2019 and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in 2023.
- 13
Public holidays in Bavaria
In addition: Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Assumption Day, All Saints' Day
View dates - 12
Public holidays in Baden-Württemberg
In addition: Epiphany, Corpus Christi, All Saints' Day
View dates - 12
Public holidays in Saarland
In addition: Corpus Christi, Assumption Day, All Saints' Day
View dates - 11
Public holidays in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
In addition: International Women's Day, Reformation Day
View dates - 11
Public holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia
In addition: Corpus Christi, All Saints' Day
View dates - 11
Public holidays in Rhineland-Palatinate
In addition: Corpus Christi, All Saints' Day
View dates - 11
Public holidays in Saxony
In addition: Reformation Day, Day of Repentance and Prayer
View dates - 11
Public holidays in Saxony-Anhalt
In addition: Epiphany, Reformation Day
View dates - 11
Public holidays in Thuringia
In addition: World Children's Day, Reformation Day
View dates - 10
Public holidays in Berlin
In addition: International Women's Day
View dates - 10
Public holidays in Brandenburg
In addition: Reformation Day
View dates - 10
Public holidays in Bremen
In addition: Reformation Day
View dates - 10
Public holidays in Hamburg
In addition: Reformation Day
View dates - 10
Public holidays in Hesse
In addition: Corpus Christi
View dates - 10
Public holidays in Lower Saxony
In addition: Reformation Day
View dates - 10
Public holidays in Schleswig-Holstein
In addition: Reformation Day
View dates
Public holidays in the duty roster and the holiday account
A public holiday is not a working day, so it does not count against holiday entitlement, and under section 2 EFZG it still has to be paid. Planning has to know both, otherwise it counts target hours against a day on which nobody was allowed to work. How many days are available at all is calculated by the holiday entitlement calculator, how many working days a period has by the working days calculator, and which holiday day gains the most by the bridge days calculator.
Related
Where to go from here, and what waits for you there.
Questions about public holidays
What gets asked about this most often.
Question not answered here? Every step is explained in the help centre.
Send us a messageHow many public holidays apply nationwide?
Nine: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, German Unity Day and the two Christmas holidays. Only German Unity Day is in a federal law; all the others are in the state holiday laws, which agree on them.
Which federal state has the most public holidays?
Bavaria with thirteen, although Assumption Day applies there only in predominantly Catholic municipalities. Across a whole state, Saarland has the most with twelve. Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein have the fewest with ten.
Which federal state counts if the business is based elsewhere?
The one where the work is done. What counts is the holiday law of the state in which the work is performed, not that of the company's registered office and not that of the place of residence. When working from home it is the state in which the person actually works.
Is there a substitute day if a public holiday falls on a weekend?
No. Unlike in the United Kingdom, German law knows no substitute day. A public holiday on a Saturday or Sunday is simply lost, unless a collective agreement or a works agreement provides otherwise.
Are Shrove Monday, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve public holidays?
No, in no federal state. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are ordinary working days; many businesses give them off, which is a voluntary benefit or is in the collective agreement. In some states a limited protection under holiday law applies from 2 pm.
Where do the dates on these pages come from?
From the same calculation MetronHR uses in the product: fixed dates from the public holiday laws, movable ones from Easter Sunday by the Gregorian algorithm, plus the years in which the newer holidays were introduced. Counted is what applies statewide. What applies only locally, such as Assumption Day in Bavaria, Corpus Christi in parts of Saxony and Thuringia or the Augsburg Peace Festival, is listed on the state's page next to the table.
The duty roster knows your public holidays
A public holiday calendar per federal state, with your own days addable, and holiday entitlement calculated from it.
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