Public Holidays in Germany 2026
All nationwide public holidays in Germany for 2026 at a glance – with free downloads as Excel, CSV or PDF and tips for bridge days and long weekends.
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All Public Holidays in Germany 2026
Germany has 9 public holidays that are recognized nationwide across all 16 federal states. In addition, each state (Bundesland) may observe additional regional holidays such as Epiphany, Corpus Christi, or Reformation Day. The table below lists all nationwide public holidays for 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 01/01/2026 | Thursday |
| Good Friday | 04/03/2026 | Friday |
| Easter Monday | 04/06/2026 | Monday |
| Labor Day | 05/01/2026 | Friday |
| Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ | 05/14/2026 | Thursday |
| Pentecost Monday | 05/25/2026 | Monday |
| German Unity Day | 10/03/2026 | Saturday |
| First Day of Christmastide | 12/25/2026 | Friday |
| Second Day of Christmastide | 12/26/2026 | Saturday |
Regional Holidays by State
Beyond the nationwide holidays, many states observe additional public holidays. The total number ranges from 10 to 13 per year depending on your state. View the complete holiday calendar for each state:
- Baden-Württemberg – 12 holidays
- Bavaria – 13 holidays
- Berlin – 10 holidays
- Brandenburg – 10 holidays
- Bremen – 10 holidays
- Hamburg – 10 holidays
- Hesse – 10 holidays
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – 11 holidays
- Lower Saxony – 10 holidays
- North Rhine-Westphalia – 11 holidays
- Rhineland-Palatinate – 11 holidays
- Saarland – 12 holidays
- Saxony – 11 holidays
- Saxony-Anhalt – 11 holidays
- Schleswig-Holstein – 10 holidays
- Thuringia – 11 holidays
Bridge Days & Long Weekends in Germany 2026
Bridge days (Brückentage) are single vacation days that connect a public holiday with a weekend, creating extended time off. Germany's 2026 calendar offers several excellent opportunities to maximize your vacation days.
Best Bridge Day Opportunities in 2026
- January 2 (Friday) – Take one day off after New Year's Day (Thursday, January 1) for a 4-day weekend from January 1 to 4.
- April 2 (Thursday) – Take Thursday off before Good Friday for a 5-day break from April 2 to 6 (using just 1 vacation day, since Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays).
- May 15 (Friday) – Take one day off after Ascension Day (Thursday, May 14) for a 4-day weekend from May 14 to 17.
- May 22 (Friday) – Take one day off before Whit Monday (Monday, May 25) for a 4-day weekend from May 22 to 25.
- December 24 (Thursday) – Take Thursday off before Christmas Day for a 5-day break from December 24 to 28 (using just 1 vacation day, since Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day are holidays).
Automate your holiday calendar
Manage Germany's Public Holidays Automatically with absentify
Keeping track of public holidays across different states – let alone multiple countries – can be tedious. absentify eliminates the manual work by syncing public holidays directly into the tools your team already uses.
Why Teams Choose absentify
- Automatic sync with Microsoft Teams & Outlook – Public holidays appear in your team calendar without any manual entry. Select Germany (or any of 250+ countries) and holidays are added automatically.
- Regional holidays included – absentify recognizes state-specific holidays. Everyone sees the correct days off for their location.
- Calendar sync across all devices – Absences and public holidays are visible everywhere: Teams, Outlook, desktop, and mobile.
- Free plan with unlimited users – Get started without a credit card. The free plan covers unlimited team members with all essential features.
How It Works
- Sign up – Create your free absentify account in under two minutes.
- Select your country and state – Choose Germany and your specific state to get the right holidays.
- Invite your team – Team members see holidays and absences in their existing Teams or Outlook calendar.
- Plan smarter – Use the built-in team calendar to coordinate vacations around public holidays and bridge days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Germany has 9 public holidays in 2026 that are observed nationwide across all 16 states. Depending on which state you live or work in, there can be up to 13 public holidays in total when regional holidays are included.
The top bridge day opportunities in 2026 are: January 2, April 2, May 15. May is especially favorable, with multiple public holidays offering several chances to extend weekends with minimal vacation days used.
Yes. The Germany public holiday calendar for 2026 is available as a free download in PDF, Excel (.xlsx), and CSV formats. No registration or account creation is required.
absentify lets you select your specific state during setup. The system then automatically includes both the nationwide holidays and any additional regional holidays for that state in your team calendar. This ensures every team member sees the correct holidays for their location.