The Germany public holidays in 2026 that everyone shares — all sixteen states — number just nine. Germany is famously decentralised about holidays: Bavaria, Saxony, Berlin and others add several of their own, from Epiphany to Reformation Day. This guide lists the nine nationwide days, explains the state extras, and shows how to work the beloved Brückentag (bridge day) system.
Nationwide public holidays in Germany, 2026
- Thursday, 1 January — New Year’s Day (Neujahrstag)
- Friday, 3 April — Good Friday (Karfreitag)
- Monday, 6 April — Easter Monday (Ostermontag)
- Friday, 1 May — Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit)
- Thursday, 14 May — Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt)
- Monday, 25 May — Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag)
- Saturday, 3 October — German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit)
- Friday, 25 December — Christmas Day (1. Weihnachtstag)
- Saturday, 26 December — Second Day of Christmas (2. Weihnachtstag)
State-specific extras to know
Your state can add several more. Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and others observe Epiphany (6 January), Corpus Christi and All Saints’ Day (1 November); eastern states mark Reformation Day (31 October); Berlin alone has International Women’s Day (8 March); Saxony keeps Repentance Day. Bavaria tops the table with up to thirteen holidays a year, while Berlin and Hamburg have the fewest. If you are comparing job offers across states — or planning a move — the holiday count genuinely differs, so check the state calendar, not just the national one.
Bridge days: the German art of Brückentage
Germans have refined the Brückentag — the “bridge day” between a holiday and a weekend — to an art form. In 2026 the textbook case is Ascension Day on Thursday 14 May: take Friday 15 May off and you have four days for one leave day. Labour Day (Friday 1 May) and Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) both deliver three-day weekends with zero leave spent. Whit Monday (25 May) is already a Monday, completing a tidy spring run. Many Germans submit their bridge-day requests in January — the early planner gets the leave approved.
What to expect on the day
On public holidays, shops are closed by law — the famous Ladenschluss — with only bakeries (morning hours), petrol stations, train-station shops and restaurants exempt. Plan grocery shopping ahead, especially around the Easter weekend (3–6 April) and Christmas (25–26 December), when two consecutive closed days empty the shelves of fresh goods. Public transport runs on Sunday schedules. Christmas markets wind down by 23–24 December in most cities, so catch the Glühwein earlier in Advent if you are visiting in December.
German Unity Day 2026
The 3 October national day rotates its official celebrations between states — in 2026 it falls on a Saturday, which mutes the day-off effect but not the significance. Expect the central ceremony, concerts and the traditional street festival in the host city, with flags and unity-themed events nationwide. For workers it is the year’s quietest holiday; for the country’s collective memory, it remains the most important one.
Don’t forget the quiet days: with German Unity Day on a Saturday and Second Christmas Day on a Saturday in 2026, there is no substitute weekday — so the year’s real leave value sits in the spring bridges. Plan those first.
Planning tips
Holiday calendars are published well in advance, but local announcements can still adjust them, especially where dates depend on a lunar calendar or a moon sighting. Bookmark the official source for your region, compare it with your employer policy and leave a small buffer when travelling or shipping goods around the date.
Use this guide as a starting point, compare it with the official source for your location and check again closer to the date, since announcements and local arrangements can change. Sharing the dates early with family, colleagues and customers also avoids last-minute surprises.