WORKING IN GERMANY
The year 2023 is looking up for days off of work, with the vast majority of ‘Feiertage’ falling during the week. We break down what they are and when they take place.
Published: 21 December 2022 17:17 CET
People enjoy a day out at the beach. July is a traditional vacation month. Photo: Pixabay
Let’s face it: 2022 was a pretty shabby year for public holidays. Many employees might have felt a little short-changed by holidays which fell on a weekend – including Christmas Day this Sunday. Unlike in the US or UK, these public holidays simply fall by the wayside unless employers privately decide otherwise.
But they’re in luck in 2023: with the exception of New Year’s Day itself, which occurs on a Sunday, most state and national public holidays fall during the week, meaning employees can enjoy more time off without having to dip into their sacred supply of holidays (vacation days).
READ ALSO: Vacation days in Germany: What you need to know about your rights as an employee
For holidays which fall on a Tuesday or Thursday, employees can also follow along with the popular practice of taking bridge daysor a Monday or Friday off, in order to enjoy a lengthy four-day weekend.
We lay out all of the public holidays for the coming year, and where they’re honoured. For those planning a year in advance, a la German style, January 1st, 2024 also falls on a Monday.
New Year’s Day (national): Sunday, January 1st
Three Kings Day (Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Saxony-Anhalt): Friday, January 6th
READ ALSO: Three Kings’ Day: What you should know about Germany’s public holiday in three states
International Women’s Day (Berlin): Wednesday, March 8th
Easter Friday (national): April 7th
Easter Monday (national): April 10th
Labour Day (national): Monday, May 1st
Ascension Day/Christi Himmelfahrt (national): Thursday, May 18th
Whit Monday (national): Monday, May 29th
Corpus Christi/Corpus Christi (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony and Thuringia): June 8th
READ ALSO: Fronleichnam: What you should know about Germany’s regional public holiday
Assumption Day/Assumption Day (Bavaria and Saarland): Tuesday, August 15th
World Children’s Day/Weltkindertag (Thuringia): Wednesday, November 20th
Day of German Unity (national): Tuesday, October 3rd
Reformation Day (Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia): Tuesday, October 31st
All Saints Day (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland): Wednesday, November 1st
Day of Prayer and Repentance (Saxony): Wednesday, November 22nd
READ ALSO: Saxon public holiday: What’s the history behind Buß- und Bettag?
Christmas Day (national): Monday, December 25th
Second Day of Christmas (national): Tuesday, December 26th