Germany School Holidays (2026)

School holidays in Germany vary from region to region and are determined by the respective federal state authorities. The general school holiday dates may slightly differ between public and private schools. Generally, schools have five holiday breaks throughout the academic year, which include summer, winter, autumn, Christmas, and Easter holidays. However, in Baden-Wurttemberg, Hessen, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Schleswig-Holstein students do not break for the winter holidays.

Although the school dates vary, they are expected to fall within a specific period all across Germany, as indicated below. The holidays are usually one to three weeks long except for the summer holidays which are 6-7 weeks long. For more updated information, please visit individual websites for schools in Germany, as declared by the Federal Ministry of Education & Research.

When are school holidays in Germany?

What are the other holidays in Germany?

New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day is observed on January 1st in celebration of the beginning of the new year according to the Gregorian calendar.

Good Friday
Good Friday is observed on the Friday before Easter to mark the crucifixion of Jesus. This is a day of mourning where Christians ponder about the suffering and death of Jesus and how this impacts their faith.

Easter Monday
Easter Monday is observed on the day after Easter Sunday in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This day is usually observed in either March or April.

Labor Day
Labor Day, also known as May Day or International Workers Day, is observed on May 1st in celebration of the achievements of the labor movement.

Ascension Day
Ascension Day marks the 40th day of Easter in celebration of the rising of Jesus Christ into heaven, 39 days after his resurrection on Easter Sunday. This day is mainly observed by Anglicans and Catholics.

Whit Monday
Also referred to as Pentecost Monday, Whit Monday is observed on the Monday after Whitsunday. This day is celebrated fifty days after Easter in celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit in the manifestation of a flame on Jesus’ Apostles. According to tradition, the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to speak in a variety of languages while preaching the word of God during the feast of Pentecost.

Germany Unification Day
This day is observed on October 3rd in celebration of the anniversary of the German reunification which took place in 1990. This is the only official national day in Germany that has been celebrated throughout the country since 1990.

Christmas Day
Christmas Day is observed on December 25th, in celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ which dates back to 1 BC.

St. Stephen’s Day
St. Stephen’s Day is also referred to as Boxing Day or the Second Day of Christmas and is celebrated on December 26th. This day is observed in commemoration of the first Christian martyr.

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