Germany Public Holidays 2027
Germany has 9 nationwide public holidays in 2027 — but four of them land on weekends: Labour Day (Sat May 1), German Unity Day (Sun Oct 3) and both Christmas days (Dec 25–26). With no substitute-day rule, they are simply lost. Easter (Mar 26–29) is the year's only four-day holiday break.
Nationwide holidays
9
Longest break
Easter · 4 days
Lost to weekends
4 (May 1, Oct 3, Dec 25–26)
With state days
Up to 13 (Bavaria)
2027 Germany calendar
01January
02February
03March
04April
05May
06June
07July
08August
09September
10October
11November
12December
Germany public holiday list
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027 | Friday | New Year's DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| March 26, 2027 | Friday | Good FridayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| March 29, 2027 | Monday | Easter MondayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| May 1, 2027 | Saturday | Labour DayFalls on a Saturday in 2027 — Germany has no substitute-day rule, so it is lost for Monday-to-Friday workers.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 6, 2027 | Thursday | Ascension DayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| May 17, 2027 | Monday | Whit MondayPublic holiday | Public holiday |
| October 3, 2027 | Sunday | German Unity DayFalls on a Sunday in 2027 — Germany has no substitute-day rule, so it is lost for Monday-to-Friday workers.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 25, 2027 | Saturday | Christmas DayFalls on a Saturday in 2027 — Germany has no substitute-day rule, so it is lost for Monday-to-Friday workers.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 26, 2027 | Sunday | Boxing DayFalls on a Sunday in 2027 — Germany has no substitute-day rule, so it is lost for Monday-to-Friday workers.Public holiday | Public holiday |
Germany long weekends in 2027
New Year's Day
3 daysJan 1 – 3
Easter
4 daysMar 26 – 29
Good Friday and Easter Monday bracket the weekend — four days off, and the only four-day holiday break of 2027.
Ascension bridge
4 daysMay 6 – 9
Ascension Day is always a Thursday. Friday May 7 is the most popular Brückentag of the year — a vacation day, not a public holiday.
Whit Monday
3 daysMay 15 – 17
Nationwide holidays vs state (Bundesland) holidays
Only nine public holidays apply in all of Germany. Each of the 16 federal states adds its own days: Epiphany (Jan 6) in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt; International Women's Day (Mar 8) in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; Corpus Christi in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and parts of Saxony and Thuringia; the Assumption (Aug 15) in Saarland and Bavaria's mostly Catholic areas; Reformation Day (Oct 31) in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Bremen; All Saints (Nov 1) in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland; and Buß- und Bettag in Saxony only.
Bavaria tops the table with up to 13 holidays in total, while Berlin and Hamburg get only the nine nationwide days plus (in Berlin's case) Women's Day. Always check the calendar for your specific state.
No substitute days: four holidays lost to weekends in 2027
Unlike the UK or Japan, Germany has no substitute-day rule. When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there is no weekday off in lieu — the holiday is simply lost for employees on a standard Monday-to-Friday week.
2027 is a bad year for this: four of the nine nationwide holidays land on weekends — Labour Day on Saturday May 1, German Unity Day on Sunday Oct 3, and both Christmas Day (Sat Dec 25) and Boxing Day (Sun Dec 26). Only five of the nine provide a weekday off.
Brückentage: how Germans turn 1 vacation day into 4 days off
A "Brückentag" (bridge day) is the working day between a holiday and the weekend, which Germans routinely take as vacation. Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday, so the Friday after it is the country's most popular bridge day — one vacation day turns into a four-day weekend.
In 2027 the standout bridge day is Friday May 7, after Ascension Day on Thursday May 6. With so many holidays lost to weekends this year, expect demand for that Friday to be even higher than usual.
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Official sources & data
- Public holidays in Germany 2027Visit sourceDeutsche Bundesbank
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Germany have in 2027?+
Nine nationwide — but four of them fall on weekends in 2027 and are lost, since Germany has no substitute-day rule. Individual states add their own days; Bavaria reaches up to 13 in total.
Which days are public holidays in all of Germany, and which only in some states?+
Nationwide: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, German Unity Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. State-level days include Epiphany, Women's Day (Berlin), Corpus Christi, the Assumption, Reformation Day, All Saints and Buß- und Bettag (Saxony).
What happens when a German holiday falls on a weekend?+
Nothing — Germany has no substitute-day rule, so the holiday is simply lost for Monday-to-Friday workers. In 2027 this hits four holidays: May 1 (Sat), Oct 3 (Sun), Dec 25 (Sat) and Dec 26 (Sun).
When is Easter in Germany in 2027?+
Good Friday is March 26 and Easter Monday is March 29, 2027 — a four-day weekend nationwide, and the only four-day holiday break of the year.
What is a Brückentag?+
A "bridge day" — the working day between a holiday and the weekend, taken as vacation. In 2027, Friday May 7 (after Ascension Day) is the classic example: one vacation day yields four days off.
Is December 24 (Christmas Eve) a public holiday in Germany?+
No. Neither Dec 24 nor Dec 31 is a public holiday, but most shops close around 2pm on both days, and many offices give staff the day off.
