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Germany has plenty of holidays, but most are regional. Four dates give genuinely long windows: Christmas with the stretch to New Year, Easter, Ascension with the Friday bridge, and Whitsun. Plus the summer school holidays, which differ by state.
The calendar: September 2026 – August 2027
October 2026
- 3 OctoberTag der Deutschen Einheit
The anniversary of German reunification in 1990, the country’s only nationwide holiday. A Saturday in 2026.
December 2026
- 24 December – 1 JanuaryWeihnachten und Neujahr●
25 and 26 December are public holidays nationwide, and in the stretch between Christmas and New Year — *zwischen den Jahren* — most companies simply close. The longest winter window.
January 2027
- 6 JanuaryHeilige Drei Könige
Three Kings’ Day, a public holiday in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Saxony-Anhalt.
March 2027
- 26–29 MarchOstern●
Good Friday on 26 March and Easter Monday on the 29th are public holidays nationwide. Four days in a row and one of the main holiday windows.
May 2027
- 1 MayTag der Arbeit
May Day; a Saturday in 2027.
- 6–9 MayChristi Himmelfahrt●
Ascension always falls on a Thursday, so the Friday is traditionally taken as a bridge — four days in a row. It doubles as Father’s Day in Germany.
- 15–17 MayPfingsten●
Whit Monday on 17 May is a public holiday nationwide, giving a three-day weekend. In many states it coincides with school holidays.
- 27 MayFronleichnam
A public holiday in the Catholic states: Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.
August 2027
- 15 AugustMariä Himmelfahrt
A public holiday in Saarland and in the Catholic communities of Bavaria. It falls in the middle of the summer school holidays.
When to start the paperwork
| Window | Dates | Send documents by |
|---|---|---|
| Weihnachten und Neujahr | 24 December 2026 – 1 January 2027 | 12 November 2026 |
| Ostern | 26–29 March 2027 | 12 February 2027 |
| Christi Himmelfahrt | 6–9 May 2027 | 25 March 2027 |
| Pfingsten | 15–17 May 2027 | 3 April 2027 |
Want to travel in one of these windows?
Tell us which country you are travelling from and which dates you have free — we will build a route around your days off and price it.
