Public holidays in Germany
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Except for national holidays, public holidays in Germany (gesetzliche Feiertage) are determined by the federal states.
| Date | English Name | Local Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | Neujahr | |
| January 6 | Epiphany | Heilige Drei Könige | in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony-Anhalt |
| moveable | Good Friday | Karfreitag | |
| moveable | Easter Monday | Ostermontag | |
| May 1 | May Day | Tag der Arbeit | |
| moveable | Ascension Day | Christi Himmelfahrt | |
| moveable | Whitmonday | Pfingstmontag | |
| moveable | Corpus Christi | Fronleichnam | in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, NRW, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and some communities in Saxony and Thuringia |
| August 15 | Assumption Day | Mariä Himmelfahrt | in Saarland, and in Bavarian communities with mostly Catholic population |
| October 3 | German Unity Day | Tag der Deutschen Einheit | national holiday since 1990; used to be on June 17th up to 1990, commemorating the Workers Uprising of 1953 in East Germany |
| October 31 | Reformation Day | Reformationstag | in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg |
| November 1 | All Saints | Allerheiligen | in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, NRW, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland |
| moveable | Penance Day | Buß- und Bettag | Saxony; national holiday until 1994. Saxony is the only state, because Saxons don't have to pay the nursing care insurance. |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | 1. Weihnachtsfeiertag | |
| December 26 | Boxing Day | 2. Weihnachtsfeiertag |
The only town in Germany which has its own additional public holiday is Augsburg. The Friedensfest ("Peace Festival") is celebrated on August 8.
Either Carnival Monday ("Rose Monday") or Mardi Gras is a de facto holiday in many towns and cities in catholic western and southern Germany which have a strong Carnival tradition.
External links
- Website of the German Department of the Interior (http://www.bmi.bund.de/dokumente/Lexikon-Modul/ix_20030.htm)de:Feiertage_(Deutschland)