On the contrary to most European countries, Germany has two types of public holidays – the nationwide ones and these which apply only to particular lands. Are you wondering when you can expect some free time? We’ve prepared a calendar that will help you with the planning.
Public holidays in European countries are mostly connected to Christian celebrations, although there are exceptions to this rule. Examples? The International Day of Labor on May 1st is also celebrated with a holiday. There are also some national celebrations that commemorate important events, such as regaining independence.
In Germany, there are 11 days in the whole year when the public holidays cover all the country. But inhabitants of some lands celebrate more than others. There are days when holiday applies only to Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, or other German lands. Among nationwide holidays, there are Pentecost, German Unity Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Christmas, and Easter.
Christian-related holiday in Germany
Aside from Easter and Christmas, Germany celebrates other days significant for the Christian calendar. Among these, there are:
- Ascension of Christ (May 13th)
- Corpus Christi (60 days after Easter, celebrated in Saarland, Hesse, North-Rine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg)
- Assumption of Virgin Mary (August 15th, celebrated in Bavaria and Saarland)
- Reformation Day (October 31th, celebrated in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia)
- All Saints Day (November 1st, celebrated in Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria, Hesse, North-Rine-Westphalia, Saarland, Baden-Württemberg)
- Day of Prayer and Representance (November 17th, Saxony)
As you may have noticed, some lands celebrate more Christian holidays than others. There is also a visible protestant/catholic division (Reformation Day is a protestant holiday). In the South and Western German lands, Catholicism is a dominant religion, while in the middle Northern lands, Protestantism prevails. In the Eastern lands, on the other hand, the biggest percentage of inhabitants are not religious, which is reflected in the number of holidays.
If you would like to know more, go to the calendar of public holidays in Germany where all the dates are laid out. You can also search for a particular land, for example, Baden-Württemberg (https://ru-geld.de/en/holidays/german-states/baden-wuerttemberg.html) or Bayern (https://ru-geld.de/en/holidays/german-states/bayern.html)