--
title: "Germany Public Holidays 2026: The 9 Nationwide Days vs. the State Extras"
description: "Germany's holidays come in two layers: 9 nationwide days everyone gets, then state extras — Bavaria alone adds 4. Full 2026 dates with bridge-day tips."
tags: ["germany", "publicholidays", "travel", "2026"]
canonical_url: https://public-holidays.shop/en/blog/guide/germany-public-holidays-federal-regional
Germany Public Holidays 2026: The 9 Nationwide Days vs. the State Extras
Germany's public holidays come in two layers, and the second one catches visitors by surprise.
Nine dates apply everywhere in the country, from Hamburg to Munich. Then the states start adding their own: Bavaria stacks four extra days, while a Berliner gets exactly the national nine. This post breaks the 2026 calendar into both layers with exact dates.
The 9 nationwide holidays (all 16 states)
- New Year's Day — Jan 1 (Thursday)
- Good Friday — Apr 3
- Easter Monday — Apr 6
- Labour Day — May 1 (Friday)
- Ascension Day — May 14 (Thursday)
- Whit Monday — May 25
- German Unity Day — Oct 3 (Saturday)
- Christmas Day — Dec 25 (Friday)
- Boxing Day — Dec 26 (Saturday)
2026 is a good year for bridge days: Labour Day lands on Friday May 1 (take Thursday Apr 30 off for a 4-day run), and Ascension on Thursday May 14 becomes a long weekend with a single Friday off.
The regional layer: who adds what
| Holiday | 2026 date | Observed in |
|---|---|---|
| Epiphany | Jan 6 (Tue) | BW, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt |
| Corpus Christi | Jun 4 (Thu) | BW, Bavaria, Hesse, NRW, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland |
| Assumption Day | Aug 15 (Sat) | Bavaria (parts), Saarland |
| World Children's Day | Sep 20 (Sun) | Thuringia |
| Reformation Day | Oct 31 (Sat) | 9 northern/eastern states |
| All Saints' Day | Nov 1 (Sun) | BW, Bavaria, NRW, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland |
| Repentance and Prayer Day | Nov 18 (Wed) | Saxony only |
Bavaria is the champion with 13 total holidays; the city-states (Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen) stick close to the national nine.
Three things people get wrong
- There is no substitute-day system. A holiday on Saturday (like German Unity Day in 2026) is simply lost for most office workers.
- "Deutsche Feiertage" usually means the federal layer — the real planning value hides in state holidays.
- Bridges (Brückentag) are a real cultural practice. June 4 (Corpus Christi, south) turns into a 4-day weekend with one Friday off.
Full guide with the complete state table and long-weekend math: Germany Public Holidays 2026 — PubHoliday
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