For almost everyone, however, Christmas in Germany is a very special time. Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag), sometimes referred to as Pentecost Sunday, falls on the 7th Monday after Easter and it means a day off work for German employees. All Saints Day (Allerheiligen) on the 1st November is a public holiday in five regions: Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. It's an important Catholic festival where churchgoers remember the dead. Request a brochure for more information on our wide range of adventure holidays. You can, however, apply to the headteacher at your child’s school for an exemption in order to legally take your children out of school before the start of the holidays. In Germany, it is a public holiday in the states of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, and Saxony-Anhalt, where many businesses, banks, and stores are closed. Discover Germany’s outdoor side: ancient forests, surprising quiet mountains, beautiful rivers. It is important to always check exact dates with your child’s school. Ride on dedicated cycle routes through Austria and Germany, Explore Bavaria's verdant Altmühltal Nature Park - a walker's paradise, Lake Chiemsee, Bavaria's largest lake, is surrounded by beautiful scenery. The holiday was founded in 1990 after the reunification of West and East Germany. Depending on your location, these extra holiday days might be added around public holidays (so-called “bridge days”, Brückentage, e.g., if a public holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday, the Friday or Monday is given off to allow for a long weekend away). With plenty of beer, fairground rides and traditional music, most Oktoberfest events start in late September and run until around October 3rd. Germany Public Holidays 2020 ; This page contains a national calendar of all 2020 public holidays for Germany. As Europe’s largest economy, and with a regal history enshrined in its many castles, the nation is enterprising and welcoming – forward-looking while never forgetting its past. Many people initially take up running to get fit and active, but soon they discover there is so much more than simply. While school holidays are set by the education authorities in each federal state, German higher education institutions are free to set their own holiday dates. For Catholics, the religious festivals are all important, whilst Protestants tend to focus more on Easter and Reformation Day. 139 WRV, part of the German constitution via Art. Having lived abroad ourselves, we know that finding the right information on how to relocate and settle in a new country can be difficult. In addition to the regular school holiday periods, children in Germany can also enjoy national public holidays. However, Germany also celebrates a number of non-religious events. It is usually spent taking a walk, enjoying another large feast and attending a church service. Castles: Standing aloft Neuschwanstein Castle at dawn is like something out of a fairytale. It's a national holiday where Germans are granted the day off work on October 3rd. We know that the lack of digitization and personalized support can make navigating German bureaucracy a very frustrating process. The Day of Reformation (Reformationstag) commemorates the day that Martin Luther pinned his thesis to the door of a church in Wittenberg in 1517. The German holiday calendar has several in common with other parts of Europe and the United States, including Christmas and New Years. In Germany, schoolchildren receive 75 days of holiday per year (including 12 Saturdays). The day after Christmas, or Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag, is also a public holiday. Cycle the River Danube at your own leisurely pace, explore picturesque Bavaria’s walking trails in the chocolate-box village of Oberammergau, or have an exciting winter adventure in the snow-dusted Black Forest. You can find an outline of the major German holidays and festivals (when they are and what they’re about) in this article. Public holidays are usually counted separately to paid holiday leave, although you should check your work contract to make sure.. Types of German holidays It is recognized by Protestants (especially Lutherans) and is a public holiday in nine of Germany's federal states including Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, and Bremen. As school attendance is compulsory, as a rule, the German government does not permit parents to take children on holiday during term-time. For expats of all colours, shapes & sizes, Autumn holiday: October 28 - October 30, 2019, Christmas holiday: December 23, 2019 - January 4, 2020, Summer holiday: July 30 - September 12, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 26 - October 30, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 23, 2020 - January 9, 2021, Summer holiday: July 29 - September 11, 2021, Winter holiday: February 24 - February 28, 2020, Summer holiday: July 27 - September 7, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 31 - November 6, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 23, 2020 - January 9, 2021, Winter holiday: February 15 - February 19, 2021, Easter holiday: March 29 - April 10, 2021, Summer holiday: July 30 - September 13, 2021, Autumn holiday: October 7 - October 19, 2019, Winter holiday: February 3 - February 8, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 12 - October 24, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 21, 2020 - January 2, 2021, Winter holiday: February 1 - February 6, 2021, Easter holiday: March 29 - April 10, 2021, Autumn holiday: October 4 - October 18, 2019, Christmas holiday: December 23, 2019 - January 3, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 21, 2019 - January 6, 2020, Winter holiday: February 3 - February 4, 2020, Easter holiday: March 28 - April 14, 2020, Summer holiday: July 16 - August 26, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 23, 2020 - January 8, 2021, Winter holiday: February 1 - February 2, 2021, Easter holiday: March 27 - April 10, 2021, Summer holiday: July 22 - September 1, 2021, Christmas holiday: December 20, 2019 - January 3, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 5 - October 16, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 21, 2020 - January 4, 2021, Autumn holiday: September 30 - October 12, 2019, Christmas holiday: December 23, 2019 - January 11, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 5 - October 17, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 21, 2020 - January 9, 2021, Summer holiday: July 19 - August 27, 2021, Christmas holiday: December 23, 2019 - January 6, 2020, Easter holiday: March 30 - April 14, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 12 - October 23, 2020, Winter holiday: February 1 - February 2, 2021, Autumn holiday: October 4 - October 12, 2019, Winter holiday: February 10 - February 21, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 5 - October 10, 2020, Bridge days: November 2 - November 3, 2020, Winter holiday: February 6 - February 18, 2021, Autumn holiday: October 14 - October 26, 2019, Summer holiday: June 29 - August 11, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 23, 2020 - January 6, 2021, Autumn holiday: September 30 - October 11, 2019, Winter holiday: February 17 - February 21, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 7 - October 18, 2019, Winter holiday: February 17 - February 25, 2020, Easter holiday: April 14 - April 24, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 21 - December 31, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 14 - October 25, 2019, Christmas holiday: December 21, 2019 - January 3, 2020, Winter holiday: February 10 - February 22, 2020, Easter holiday: April 10 - April 18, 2020, Summer holiday: July 20 - August 28, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 19 - October 31, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 23, 2020 - January 2, 2021, Winter holiday: February 8 - February 20, 2021, Summer holiday: July 26 - September 3, 2021, Autumn holiday: October 4 - October 11, 2019, Winter holiday: February 10 - February 14, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 19 - October 24, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 21, 2020 - January 5, 2021, Winter holiday: February 8 - February 13, 2021, Easter holiday: March 30 - April 17, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 21, 2020 - January 6, 2021, Summer holiday: July 20 - August 29, 2020, Autumn holiday: October 17 - October 30, 2020, Christmas holiday: December 23, 2020- January 2, 2021, Summer holiday: June 26 - September 4, 2021. Easter Monday (Ostermontag) is also a national holiday. While primary education is mixed in Germany, secondary education is streamed into academic & vocational schools: Hauptschule, Realschule & Gymnasium. The start of the Winter Holidays in Germany. Mother's Day is marked by the giving of flowers and cards to one's mother. All rights reserved. There is a range of childcare options to choose from, including summer camps, holiday programmes and regular childcare centres. By law, "the Sundays and the public holidays remain protected as days of rest from work and of spiritual elevation" (Art. In all states (except Berlin, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Bavaria), German schools and international schools are given the power to set several days of extra holiday per year, as they see fit. For the summer holidays in particular, the 16 federal states work on a staggered schedule in order to avoid overburdening travel infrastructure. Caves and lakes: Venture down into the Bärenhöhle – Bear Cave – a 20m deep pit containing bone findings of rhinos, cave lions and bears from the Neolithic era to the Iron Age. If you think of Germany and sloshing beer tankards, sauerkraut hot dogs and brutalist cities spring to mind, it's time to think again. Become familiar with the German Christmas schedule and try to combine the traditions of both Germany and your home country to please the kids and to retain something of home. These dates may be modified as official changes are announced, so please check back regularly for updates. Summer in Germany: Three regions for a laid-back, crowd-free holiday. The German Unity Day (Tag der deutschen Einheit) is the most important non-religious holiday in Germany. The Christmas day is centered around a lavish feast with extended family where roast goose or duck are eaten. Discover the most popular cycle paths in Europe. Whether you're off for a romantic vacation, family trip, or an all-inclusive holiday, Germany vacation packages on Tripadvisor make planning your trip simple and affordable. Holidays and Observances in German-Speaking Europe . Order now >>. By clicking the above button, you have read and agreed to the privacy policy. 5. Like much of the Christian world, Good Friday (Karfreitag) is a national holiday. Catholics attend a special Mass service with the giving of Mary's Nuts (walnuts and hazelnuts) to children. Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt), 40 days after Easter, is another National Holiday in Germany. © 2020 Exodus Travels Limited. Expatrio Global Services GmbH ]]>*/ Railway: Take the funicular to the top of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze, which offers a 360° panorama of endless peaks spanning Austria, Switzerland and Italy.