Public holidays in Germany 2025: when Germans take time off

Germany has quite a few public holidays and, consequently, days off. This is in particular why Germany is so famous for its work-life balance! Some holidays are specific to certain states or cities, while others are celebrated throughout the country. Most of the holidays are of religious origin.

In this article, here are the main holidays in Germany in 2025, which will also be official days off for Germans .

January 1, 2025 – New Year’s Day (Neujahr)

As in other countries, Germany celebrates this holiday (but much more modestly than Christmas) on the night of January 1. But Germans have only one day of rest on New Year’s Eve, and already on January 2 they meet at work! On December 31, employers usually give their employees half a day or a whole day off.

January 6, 2025 – Epiphany (Heilige Drei Könige)

The Christian holiday of the three kings, the Magi, who came to worship the born Jesus. On this day, Sternsinger from local churches go door to door – groups of caroling children, often raising money for charity. It is celebrated all over Germany, but is an official holiday only in Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt and Baden-Württemberg.

March 8, 2025 – International Women’s Day (Frauentag)

This holiday is not very popular in Germany, but two places in the country do have a day off – Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

April 18, 2025* – Good Friday (Karfreitag)

This day off is a sign of sorrow and grief, the end of the 40-day fast.

April 21, 2025* – Easter, or Bright Monday (Ostermontag)

Easter in Germany is both a church and secular holiday. Regardless of religious views, people hang decorations in the form of painted eggs on trees in their gardens, and in the morning children traditionally look for chocolate eggs carefully hidden in the garden by the Easter Bunny (Osterhase).

May 1, 2025 – Labor Day (Tag der Arbeit)

On this day, as in many other countries, demonstrations and pickets by trade unions and political organizations are held in Germany. A day off in all of Germany

May 29, 2025* – Ascension of the Lord (Christi Himmelfahrt)

The 40th and last day of Easter (always falls on Thursday). Weekend in all of Germany

June 8 and 9, 2025* – Trinity (Pfingstmontag)

Unlike Christmas and Easter, this church holiday is not popular and most Germans leave on these days to travel.

June 19, 2025* – Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (Fronleichnam)

This holiday is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity. It is a holiday in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.

August 15, 2025 – Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Mariä Himmelfahrt)

Day off in Saarland, Bavaria (Augsburg and Munich only).

October 3, 2025 – German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit)

Day of the official reunification of Germany after the GDR became part of the FRG in 1990. A very important day for the self-determination of Germans.Aday offin all of Germany.

October 31, 2025 – Reformation Day (Reformationstag)

A holiday celebrated by Protestant churches to commemorate the beginning of the Reformation in Europe in 1517. Weekend in the states of Mecklenburg-Vonpommern, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Saxony, Hamburg, Bremen.

October 31, 2025 – All Saints’ Day Eve (Halloween)

The celebration of Halloween came to Germany relatively recently – in 1991 – but immediately became very popular, especially among children and young people. However, Halloween is not an official holiday in Germany.

November 1, 2025 – All Saints’ Day (Allerheiligen)

All Saints Day is a religious holiday, which is why it is celebrated in Germany. On this day Catholics memorialize all the saints and light the “light of the soul” as a symbol of the Eternal Light shining on all the deceased. This is a so-called quiet holiday(stiller Feiertag): on this day it is forbidden to hold public dancing events and loud music. It is an official holiday in the states of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland.

December 1-24 – Advent

Advent begins 4 Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. This cozy and meaningful period in Germany is often the first association when talking about local holiday traditions.

During Advent, churches serve services in the morning in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary – “rorats”. The symbol of this mass is a lighted candle that illuminates the path of those going to church before sunrise. To keep the candle lit, it is placed in a special lantern with transparent windows.

All Sundays of Advent are equated in the church with great feasts. If any other feast falls on a Sunday of Advent, it is moved to Monday. The first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of the New Church Year.

People decorate their houses for Christmas, put up Christmas trees, buy (or make their own) Adventskerzen – a candlestick with four candles, each of which is lit on each Sunday of Advent in turn.

For Advent there is Adventskalender – a cardboard house with 24 openable windows, where in each cell there is a small gift: candy, chocolate, tea bag, cosmetics, figurines, a note with wishes or even a prayer or an excerpt from Scripture.

While in the past Advent calendars were often made by loved ones on their own, in recent years these calendars have become heavily commercialized. Now more and more companies make their own Advent calendars (with beer, cosmetics, sweets, with tea, coffee, spices).

December 25-26, 2025 – Christmas (Weihnachten)

The main holiday in Germany is Christmas (Weihnachten). A month to a month and a half before the holiday, the Christmas fairs open, and four weeks before that Advent begins . December 24 is Christmas Eve(Heiligabend). On this day, every family has its own traditions and everyone gathers together for a holiday dinner. December 25 and 26 are the first and second day of Christmas, on these days it is customary to give gifts and spend time with family.

*Some companies “give” employees the weekends of December 24 and 31 to extend the holiday.

Be sure to make yourself a calendar with German holidays! It’s important to remember all of them, because on holidays in Germany, all stores are closed.

Don’t forget to stock up on groceries in advance. And, of course, make sure to celebrate German holidays – it will not only help you to integrate successfully, but also just have fun.