Looking at the public holidays in Germany (2024), there is a relatively generous number of public holidays (gesetzliche Feiertage). Like Sundays, these days are also designated by law as rest days, which means that banks and shops are usually closed. You will definitely be interested in our article on the meaning of holidays in Germany.
In Germany, holidays are usually counted in addition to paid vacation days, but you should check your employment contract in Germany to be sure.
Types of holidays in Germany
Holidays in Germany can be divided into two main categories: public holidays and school holidays.
List of public holidays in Germany (2024)
There are nine public holidays in each of the German states. These public holidays include the New Year, German Unity Day on October 3 and Christmas.
On top of public holidays in the entire Germany, there are some public holidays available only on selected states. Although the German Federal Government has the authority to declare national holidays, control over public holidays rests primarily with the states in Germany. For example, International Women’s Day on March 8 is a public holiday only in Berlin.
Now, let’s look at the public holidays for 2024 in Germany:
| Public day in 2024 | Date | Applicable states in Germany |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day (Neujahr) | 1 January, Monday | All states |
| Epiphany (Heilige Drei Könige) | 6 January, Saturday | Baden Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony Anhalt |
| International Women's Day (Frauentag) | 8 March, Friday | Berlin |
| Good Friday (Karfreitag) | 29 March, Friday | All states |
| Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag) | 31 March, Sunday | Brandenburg |
| Easter Monday (Ostermontag) | 1 April, Monday | All states |
| Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit) | 1 May, Wednesday | All states |
| Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) | 9 May, Thursday | All states |
| Whit Sunday (Pfingstsonntag) | 19 May, Sunday | Brandenburg |
| Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag) | 20 May, Monday | All states |
| Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) | 30 May, Thursday | Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony and Thuringia |
| Assumption Day (Mariä Himmelfahrt) | 15 August, Thursday | Bavaria & Saarland |
| Children's Day (Weltkindertag) | 20 September, Friday | Thuringia |
| Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) | 3 October, Thursday | All states |
| Reformation Day (Reformations-tag) | 31 October, Thursday | Brandenburg, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia and Schleswig Holstein |
| All Saints Day (Allerheiligen) | 1 November, Friday | Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate and Saarland |
| Repentance Day (Buß- und Bettag) | 20 November, Wednesday | Saxony |
| Christmas Day (Erster Weihnachtstag) | 25 December, Wednesday | All states |
| 2nd Day of Christmas (Zweiter Weihnachtstag) | 26 December, Thursday | All states |
You can also find the official explanation of the holidays on the page of the German Ministry of the Interior.
Public holidays in Germany in 2024 by state
Each state in Germany may have its own public holidays, so you can find the holidays of the 16 states in Germany from the list below to take a look at the 2024 public holidays by state.
| Saarland | |
School holidays in Germany
When it comes to holidays in Germany, we should of course also look at the schools. Schools have five to six vacation periods per year, including the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays, as well as the fall and spring holidays.
