Guides · 2026

Long weekends in Germany, 2026

Germany's nine nationwide holidays land generously in 2026 — Labour Day and Christmas on Fridays, Easter Monday and Whit Monday on Mondays, and Ascension on its usual bridge-friendly Thursday.

4days off

New Year's Day

Thursday holiday — take the Friday as a bridge day and you're off until Monday.

Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan1 day of leave
4days off

Good Friday + Easter Monday

Friday and Monday holidays wrap a full weekend — four days off, zero leave.

Fri 3 Apr – Mon 6 Aprno leave needed
3days off

Labour Day

Falls on a Friday — an automatic three-day weekend.

Fri 1 May – Sun 3 Mayno leave needed
4days off

Ascension Day

Thursday holiday — take the Friday as a bridge day and you're off until Monday.

Thu 14 May – Sun 17 May1 day of leave
3days off

Whit Monday

Falls on a Monday — an automatic three-day weekend.

Sat 23 May – Mon 25 Mayno leave needed

German Unity Day

Falls on the weekend this year.

Sat 3 Oct
3days off

Christmas Day

Falls on a Friday — an automatic three-day weekend.

Fri 25 Dec – Sun 27 Decno leave needed

Second Christmas Day

Falls on the weekend this year.

Sat 26 Dec

Worth knowing

This list covers the nine nationwide holidays. Depending on your Bundesland you may have more — Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Reformation Day, All Saints' Day and others are regional.

German Unity Day (3 October) and Second Christmas Day (26 December) fall on Saturdays in 2026; Germany has no general substitution rule, so those are lost to the weekend for most employees.

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