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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
Feiertag | Holiday | Datum/Date |
Neujahr* | New Year's Day | 1. 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 |
Valentinstag | Valentine's Day | 14. 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 Ill | am ersten Sonntag im März (first Sunday in March; only in Switzerland) | |
International Women's Day | 8. März (am achten März) | |
Josephstag | St. Joseph's Day | 19. März (am neunzehnten März; only in parts of Switzerland) |
Mariä Verkündigung | Annunciation | 25. März (am fünfundzwanzigsten März) |
Erster April | April Fool's Day | 1. April (am ersten April) |
Karfreitag* | Good Day | Friday before Easter; see Movable Feasts |
Ostern | Easter | Ostern falls in March or April, depending on the year; see Movable Feasts |
Walpurgisnacht | Walpurgis Night | 30. 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) |
Muttertag | Mother's Day | 2nd Sunday in May (Austria, Germany, Switz.) |
Father's Day | 12. Juni 2005 2nd Sunday in June (Austria only; diff. date in Germany) | |
Johannistag | St. John the Baptist's Day | 24. Juni (am vierundzwanzigsten Juni) |
Siebenschläfer | St. Swithin's Day | 27. Juni (am siebenundzwanzigsten Juni) Folklore: If it rains on this day it will rain for the next seven weeks. A Siebenschläfer is a dormouse. |
Feiertag | Holiday | Datum/Date |
Gedenktag des Attentats auf Hitler 1944** | Commemorative day of the assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944 | 20. Juli - Germany |
National- feiertag* | Swiss National Day | 1. August (am ersten Aug.) Celebrated with fireworks |
Mariä Himmelfahrt | Assumption | 15. August |
Michaelis (das) der Michaelistag | Michaelmas (Feast of St. Michael the Archangel) | 29. September (am neunundzwangzigsten Sept.) |
Oktoberfest München | Oktoberfest - Munich | Two-week celebration beginning in late Sept. and ending on the first Sunday in October. |
Erntedankfest | German Thanksgiving | End of September or early October; not an official holiday |
Tag der deutschen Einheit* | Day of German Unity | 3. 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. |
Halloween | Halloween | 31. Oktober (am einunddreißigsten Okt.) Halloween is not a traditional German celebration, but in recent years it has become increasingly popular in Austria and Germany. |
Allerheiligen | All Saints' Day | 1. November (am ersten Nov.) |
Allerseelen | All Souls' Day | 2. November (am zweiten Nov.) |
Martinstag | Martinmas | 11. 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. |
Nikolaustag | St. Nicholas Day | 6. 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 Conception | 8. Dezember (am achten Dez.) |
Heiligabend | Christmas Eve | 24. Dezember (am vierundzwanzigsten Dez.) - This is when German children receive their presents (die Bescherung) around the Christmas tree (der Tannenbaum). |
Weihnachten* | Christmas Day | 25. Dezember (am fünfundzwanzigsten Dez.). |
Zweiter Weihnachtstag* | Second Day of Christmas | 26. Dezember (am sechsundzwanzigsten Dez.). Known as Stephanstag, St. Stephen's Day, in Austria. |
Silvester | New Year's Eve | 31. Dezember (am einunddreißigsten Dez.). |
Movable Holidays with No Fixed DateMovable Feasts |Bewegliche Feste
Feiertag | Holiday | Datum/Date |
Schmutziger Donnerstag Weiberfastnacht | Dirty Thursday Women's Carnival | Last Thursday of Fasching/Karneval when women traditionally snip off men's ties |
Rosenmontag | Rose Monday | Date depends on Easter (Ostern) - Date of Karneval parades in the Rheinland - 4 Feb. 2008, 23 Feb. 2009 |
FastnachtKarneval | Shrove Tuesday “Mardi Gras” | Date depends on Easter (Ostern) - Carnival (Mardi Gras) |
Aschermittwoch | Ash Wednesday | End of the Carnival season; start of Lent (Fastenzeit) |
Palmsonntag | Palmsunday | Sunday before Easter (Ostern) |
Beginn des Passahfestes | First Day of Passover | |
Gründonnerstag | Maundy Thursday | Thursday before Easter From Latin mandatum in the prayer for Christ's washing of the feet of the disciples on the Thursday before Easter. |
Karfreitag | Good Friday | Friday before Easter |
Ostern Ostersonntag* | Easter Easter Sunday | On the first Sunday following the first full moon of spring |
Ostermontag* | Easter Monday | A public holiday in Germany and most of Europe |
Weißer Sonntag | Low Sunday | First Sunday after Easter Date of first communion in the Catholic church |
Muttertag | Mother's Day | Second Sunday in May** |
Christi Himmelfahrt | Ascension Day (of Jesus to heaven) | A public holiday; 40 days after Easter (see Vatertag below) |
Father's Day | On Ascension Day in Germany. Not the same as the U.S. family-oriented Father's Day. In Austria, it's in June. | |
Pfingsten | Pentecost, Whitsun, Whit Sunday | A public holiday; the 7th Sun. after Easter. In some German states Pfingsten is a 2-week school holiday. |
Pfingstmontag | Whit Monday | A public holiday |
Fronleichnam | Corpus Christi | A public holiday in Austria and Catholic parts of Germany, Switzerland; Thursday following Trinity Sunday (the Sunday after Pentecost) |
Volkstrauertag | National 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 Repentance | The Wed. eleven days prior to the first Advent Sunday. A holiday in some regions only. |
Totensonntag | Mourning Sunday | Observed in November on the Sunday prior to the first Advent Sunday. The Protestant version of All Soul's Day. |
Erster Advent | First Sunday of Advent | The 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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