Public Holiday Calendar Guide for Germany
Germany does not have a single uniform public holiday calendar for the whole country. German Unity Day is established as a statutory holiday by federal law, while the other recurring public holidays are principally determined by the laws of the sixteen Länder, or federal states.[1][2] As a result, the holiday that matters for work, shopping or travel can depend on where in Germany a person is working or visiting.
Why Public Holidays Differ Between German States
German Unity Day has a special legal position: the Unification Treaty establishes it as a statutory holiday throughout Germany.[1] Other familiar holidays are established through state holiday law. This decentralized system produces a substantial common core while allowing individual Länder to recognize additional religious or civic observances.[2][3][4]
For example, Baden-Württemberg recognizes Epiphany, Corpus Christi and All Saints' Day in addition to the common nationwide holidays.[2] Lower Saxony recognizes Reformation Day as a statutory holiday.[3] Saxony recognizes Reformation Day and the Day of Prayer and Repentance, while Corpus Christi is a statutory holiday only in designated parts of the state.[4] Holiday planning should therefore start with the relevant Land rather than with a generic Germany-wide list.
Public Holidays and Employee Pay
German federal law protects an employee's normal remuneration when working time is lost because of a statutory holiday. The Continued Remuneration Act requires an employer to pay the amount the employee would have received had the holiday not prevented the work.[5] This rule links paid holiday protection to working time that actually falls away because of the statutory holiday.
The constitutional framework also gives Sundays and state-recognized public holidays special protection as days of rest from work and spiritual reflection.[6] That protection does not mean that all work stops: transport, healthcare, emergency services, hospitality and other activities can operate under applicable federal and state exceptions.
Regional Holidays Can Be Highly Local
The variation does not always stop at state borders. Bavaria, for example, recognizes a set of statutory holidays throughout the state but treats the Assumption of Mary as a statutory holiday only in municipalities whose population is predominantly Catholic.[7] Saxony similarly limits Corpus Christi's statutory status to regions designated under state law.[4]
This local dimension matters for commuters, businesses with offices in several states and travellers crossing state boundaries. A normal working and shopping day in one city can coincide with a statutory holiday a short distance away. The relevant place of work or destination should therefore be checked before relying on a holiday calendar.
Shopping on Public Holidays
The reference claim that every German retail store must close on every statutory holiday is too broad. Shop-opening law is largely regulated at state level, and exceptions exist. Bavaria illustrates the general pattern: shops are ordinarily closed on Sundays and statutory holidays, but the state's rules provide exceptions for categories such as petrol stations, pharmacies, shops at transport hubs, certain bakeries and authorized holiday openings.[8]
Visitors should nevertheless treat a statutory holiday as a poor day for routine grocery shopping. Ordinary supermarkets and general retail outlets are commonly affected by holiday-closing rules, while the exceptions are designed for particular locations, goods or circumstances rather than normal unrestricted shopping.[8] Buying essentials beforehand is therefore useful, especially outside major railway stations, airports and tourist areas.
Bridge Days and Long Weekends
Germany has no general statutory system that automatically turns the working day between a public holiday and a weekend into another public holiday. Employees commonly use annual leave for these so-called Brückentage, or bridge days. Whether that leave is available depends on the normal rules governing annual leave and workplace arrangements rather than on the public holiday itself.
This practice is especially relevant when a movable Christian holiday or another statutory holiday falls close to a weekend. Schools, workplaces and public institutions should not be assumed to close on an adjacent working day unless the applicable calendar or institution specifically provides for it.
Travel, Transport and Practical Planning
A statutory holiday does not mean that Germany's transport system shuts down. State holiday laws expressly allow important forms of passenger transport and other necessary services to continue; for example, Baden-Württemberg's official guidance lists railways and commercial passenger transport among activities exempted from its general holiday-work restrictions.[2] Local public transport may nevertheless use Sunday or holiday timetables, so passengers should check the operator's current schedule.
For road freight, public holidays can have an additional practical consequence. Federal road-traffic law restricts certain heavy goods vehicles on Sundays and specified public holidays, and its list illustrates the regional character of German holiday rules: Corpus Christi, Reformation Day and All Saints' Day apply to the restriction only in specified Länder.[9] Businesses moving goods across state borders should therefore consider both the destination's holiday law and applicable transport restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions about Public Holidays in Germany
Do all German states have the same public holidays?
No. Germany has a common core of holidays, but the Länder determine additional statutory holidays under their own laws.[2][3][4] Some holidays can even apply only in particular municipalities or regions within a state.[4][7]
Which German public holiday is established nationwide by federal law?
German Unity Day is expressly established as a statutory holiday by the federal Unification Treaty.[1] Other recurring holidays that are widely observed throughout Germany derive their statutory status principally from state holiday laws.
Are employees paid when they do not work because of a public holiday?
Federal law provides that when working time is lost because of a statutory holiday, the employer must pay the employee the remuneration that would have been earned without that interruption.[5] The entitlement therefore concerns working time that would otherwise have been worked.
Are shops always closed on public holidays in Germany?
Ordinary retail is generally subject to strong Sunday and public-holiday closing restrictions, but saying that every shop must close is inaccurate. Rules and exceptions depend on state law. Bavaria, for example, provides exceptions covering categories such as pharmacies, petrol stations, transport-hub shops and certain other authorized sales.[8]
Does Germany automatically move a public holiday to Monday when it falls on a weekend?
There is no general German rule that automatically substitutes the following Monday whenever a statutory holiday falls on a weekend. The holiday remains governed by the applicable federal or state legislation, so workers should not assume that an additional weekday off will be created.
What is a Brückentag in Germany?
A Brückentag, or bridge day, is a working day between a public holiday and a weekend that people may take as annual leave to create a longer break. It is not automatically another statutory holiday.
Can a holiday apply in only part of a German state?
Yes. Bavaria's Assumption holiday applies only in municipalities meeting the state's denominational criterion, while Corpus Christi is a statutory holiday only in designated regions of Saxony.[4][7] This is why a city- or municipality-specific check can sometimes be necessary.
Sources
- Vertrag zwischen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik über die Herstellung der Einheit Deutschlands (Einigungsvertrag) - Art 2- Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz
- Ausnahme vom Gesetz über die Sonntage und Feiertage beantragen- Serviceportal Baden-Württemberg
- Feiertagsrecht- Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Inneres, Sport und Digitalisierung
- Gesetz über Sonn- und Feiertage im Freistaat Sachsen- Freistaat Sachsen
- Gesetz über die Zahlung des Arbeitsentgelts an Feiertagen und im Krankheitsfall (Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz)- Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz
- Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland- Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz
- Feiertage in Bayern- Bayerisches Staatsministerium des Innern, für Sport und Integration
- Ladenschlussrecht- Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Familie, Arbeit und Soziales
- Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (StVO) § 30 Umweltschutz, Sonn- und Feiertagsfahrverbot- Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz