Do You Know When German Holidays Are Celebrated? (2024)

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A Calendar of Holidays in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland

Holidays and Observances in German-Speaking Europe

Holidays (Feiertage) marked with an asterisk ( * ) are official national holidays in Germany and/or the other German-speaking countries. Some of the holidays listed here are regional or specifically Catholic or Protestant celebrations only.

Note that certain holidays (Erntedankfest, Muttertag/Mother's Day, Vatertag/Father's Day, etc.) are observed on different dates in different countries in Europe and around the world. For holidays that do not fall on a fixed date, see the Bewegliche Feste (movable feasts / holidays) table following the January through December table.

Holidays with Fixed Dates

FeiertagHolidayDatum/Date
Neujahr*New Year's Day1. Januar (am ersten Januar)
Heilige Drei
Könige
*
Epiphany,
Three Kings
6. Januar (am sechsten Januar)
A public holiday in Austria and the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), and Sachsen-Anhalt in Germany.
Mariä
Lichtmess
Candlemas
(Groundhog Day)
2. Februar (am zweiten Feb.)
Catholic regions
ValentinstagValentine's Day14. Februar (am vierzehnten Feb.)
Fasching,
Karneval
Mardi Gras
Carnival
In Catholic regions in Feb. or Mar., depending on the date of Easter. See Movable Feasts
Day of the Illam ersten Sonntag im März (first Sunday in March; only in Switzerland)
International Women's Day8. März (am achten März)
JosephstagSt. Joseph's Day19. März (am neunzehnten März; only in parts of Switzerland)
Mariä
Verkündigung
Annunciation25. März (am fünfundzwanzigsten März)
Erster AprilApril Fool's Day1. April (am ersten April)
Karfreitag*Good DayFriday before Easter; see Movable Feasts
OsternEasterOstern falls in March or April, depending on the year; see Movable Feasts
WalpurgisnachtWalpurgis Night30. April (am dreißigsten April) in Germany (Harz). Witches (Hexen) gather on eve of St. Walpurga's feast day (May Day).
Erster Mai*
Tag der Arbeit
May Day
Labor Day
1. Mai (am ersten Mai)
MuttertagMother's Day2nd Sunday in May
(Austria, Germany, Switz.)
Father's Day12. Juni 2005
2nd Sunday in June
(Austria only; diff. date in Germany)
JohannistagSt. John the Baptist's Day24. Juni (am vierundzwanzigsten Juni)
SiebenschläferSt. Swithin's Day27. Juni (am siebenundzwanzigsten Juni) Folklore: If it rains on this day it will rain for the next seven weeks. A Siebenschläfer is a dormouse.
FeiertagHolidayDatum/Date
Gedenktag des Attentats auf Hitler 1944**Commemorative day of the assassination attempt on Hitler in 194420. Juli - Germany
National-
feiertag
*
Swiss National Day1. August (am ersten Aug.)
Celebrated with fireworks
Mariä
Himmelfahrt
Assumption15. August
Michaelis (das)
der Michaelistag
Michaelmas (Feast of St. Michael the Archangel)29. September (am neunundzwangzigsten Sept.)
Oktoberfest
München
Oktoberfest - MunichTwo-week celebration beginning in late Sept. and ending on the first Sunday in October.
ErntedankfestGerman ThanksgivingEnd of September or early October; not an official holiday
Tag der
deutschen
Einheit
*
Day of German Unity3. Oktober - Germany's national holiday was moved to this date after the Berlin Wall came down.
National-
feiertag
*
National Holiday (Austria)26. Oktober (am sechsundzwanzigsten Okt.) Austria's national holiday, called Flag Day, commemorates the founding of the Republik Österreich in 1955.
HalloweenHalloween31. Oktober (am einunddreißigsten Okt.) Halloween is not a traditional German celebration, but in recent years it has become increasingly popular in Austria and Germany.
AllerheiligenAll Saints' Day1. November (am ersten Nov.)
AllerseelenAll Souls' Day2. November (am zweiten Nov.)
MartinstagMartinmas11. November (am elften Nov.) Traditional roast goose (Martinsgans) and lantern light processsions for children on the evening of the 10th. The 11th is also the official start of the Fasching/Karneval season in some regions.
NikolaustagSt. Nicholas Day6. Dezember (am sechsten Dez.) - On this day the white-bearded St. Nicholas (not Santa Claus) brings gifts to children who left their shoes in front of the door the night before.
Mariä
Empfängnis
Feast of the Immaculate Conception8. Dezember (am achten Dez.)
HeiligabendChristmas Eve24. Dezember (am vierundzwanzigsten Dez.) - This is when German children receive their presents (die Bescherung) around the Christmas tree (der Tannenbaum).
Weihnachten*Christmas Day25. Dezember (am fünfundzwanzigsten Dez.).
Zweiter
Weihnachtstag
*
Second Day of Christmas26. Dezember (am sechsundzwanzigsten Dez.). Known as Stephanstag, St. Stephen's Day, in Austria.
SilvesterNew Year's Eve31. Dezember (am einunddreißigsten Dez.).

Movable Holidays with No Fixed DateMovable Feasts |Bewegliche Feste

FeiertagHolidayDatum/Date
Schmutziger
Donnerstag
Weiberfastnacht
Dirty Thursday

Women's Carnival

Last Thursday of Fasching/Karneval when women traditionally snip off men's ties
RosenmontagRose MondayDate depends on Easter (Ostern) - Date of Karneval parades in the Rheinland - 4 Feb. 2008, 23 Feb. 2009
FastnachtKarnevalShrove Tuesday
“Mardi Gras”
Date depends on Easter (Ostern) - Carnival (Mardi Gras)
AschermittwochAsh WednesdayEnd of the Carnival season; start of Lent (Fastenzeit)
PalmsonntagPalmsundaySunday before Easter (Ostern)
Beginn des
Passahfestes
First Day of Passover
GründonnerstagMaundy ThursdayThursday before Easter
From Latin mandatum in the prayer for Christ's washing of the feet of the disciples on the Thursday before Easter.
KarfreitagGood FridayFriday before Easter
Ostern
Ostersonntag*
Easter
Easter Sunday
On the first Sunday following the first full moon of spring
Ostermontag*Easter MondayA public holiday in Germany and most of Europe
Weißer
Sonntag
Low SundayFirst Sunday after Easter
Date of first communion in the Catholic church
MuttertagMother's DaySecond Sunday in May**
Christi
Himmelfahrt
Ascension Day
(of Jesus to heaven)
A public holiday; 40 days after Easter (see Vatertag below)
Father's DayOn Ascension Day in Germany. Not the same as the U.S. family-oriented Father's Day. In Austria, it's in June.
PfingstenPentecost,
Whitsun,
Whit Sunday
A public holiday; the 7th Sun. after Easter. In some German states Pfingsten is a 2-week school holiday.
PfingstmontagWhit MondayA public holiday
FronleichnamCorpus ChristiA public holiday in Austria and Catholic parts of Germany, Switzerland; Thursday following Trinity Sunday (the Sunday after Pentecost)
VolkstrauertagNational Day
of Mourning
In November on the Sunday two weeks prior to the first Advent Sunday. In memory of Nazi victims and the dead in both world wars. Similar to Veteran's Day or Memorial Day in the US.
Buß- und
Bettag
Day of Prayer and RepentanceThe Wed. eleven days prior to the first Advent Sunday. A holiday in some regions only.
TotensonntagMourning SundayObserved in November on the Sunday prior to the first Advent Sunday. The Protestant version of All Soul's Day.
Erster AdventFirst Sunday of AdventThe four-week Advent period leading up to Christmas is an important part of the German celebration.

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Your Citation

Flippo, Hyde. "A Calendar of German Holidays and Customs - German-English." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/german-holidays-and-customs-4069407.Flippo, Hyde. (2023, April 5). A Calendar of German Holidays and Customs - German-English. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/german-holidays-and-customs-4069407Flippo, Hyde. "A Calendar of German Holidays and Customs - German-English." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/german-holidays-and-customs-4069407 (accessed October 27, 2024).

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