Taking longer holidays and relaxing properly is an important part of working effectively. Here’s how to use German public holiday dates wisely to maximise relaxation time in 2025.

How to maximise German public holidays in 2025

People who work full-time in Germany are legally entitled to a minimum of 20 paid holiday days per year and in most companies, employees are given a few more, somewhere between 20 and 30 each year.

Some national public holidays, like German Unity Day on October 3, fall on specific dates and others such as Good Friday and Easter Monday fall somewhere within a range of weeks but always on a working day. This means that each year there is some calculation to do about which days are best to take off work to maximise the duration of your uninterrupted holidays.

These are the nine public holidays which are acknowledged in every federal state and the dates they will be celebrated in 2025:

• New Year’s Day (Neujahr) - January 1
• Good Friday (Karfreitag) - April 18 
• Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag) - April 20
• Easter Monday (Ostermontag) - April 21 
• Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit) - May 1
• Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) - May 29 
• Whitsunday (Pfingstsonntag) - June 8 
• Whitmonday (Pfingstmontag) - June 9
• Reunification Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) - October 3
• Christmas Day (Erster Weihnachtstag) - December 25
• Boxing Day (Zweiter Weihnachtstag) - December 26

On top of these nine dates, some public holidays in Germany are only celebrated in one or several German federal states. 

Take four leave days for 10 days off at Easter

Easter is the first longer public holiday period after Christmas, and since it falls later in 2025 than in 2024, we will be well in need of an extended break.

With Good Friday falling on April 18 and Easter Monday on April 21, take off Monday, April 14 to Thursday, April 17 (four days annual leave) for a 10-day holiday running from April 12 to 21.

Tag der Arbeit is Brückentag territory

Germany’s nationwide public holiday Tag der Arbeit (Labour Day) on May 1, falls on a Thursday in 2025. This makes it prime territory to take a Brückentag (Bridge Day) holiday to create a long weekend. Book off Friday, May 2 to enjoy a four-day weekend.

Berliners take note of May 8!

Berliners have even more of an opportunity to relax to the max in early May. In 2025, the federal state will recognise May 8 as a one-off public holiday to mark 80 years since the end of Nazi rule in Germany.

May 8 is a Thursday, so again, prime territory for taking a Friday Brückentag on May 9 for a four-day weekend. Alternatively, combine it with the May 1 holiday and take off five annual leave days (May 2, 5, 6, 7 and 9) for an 11-day holiday between May 1 and 11.

Enjoy German Unity Day on a weekday

German Unity Day on October 3, 2025, will be the last time for two years that the nationwide public holiday falls on a weekday, make the most of it!

October 3, 2025, is a Friday. Exchange just one day of annual leave and book off Thursday, October 2 or Monday, October 6 for a four-day weekend before the autumn weather kicks in.

Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on a Thursday

Christmas Day is slowly creeping into the weekend again. In 2025, Christmas Day (Erster Weihnachtstag) and Boxing Day (Zweiter Weihnachtstag) will fall on a Thursday and Friday respectively. 

Take off December 22 to 24, the Monday to Wednesday before Christmas, for a nine-day holiday for just three days of annual leave.

New Year’s Day also falls on Thursday, so book off Friday, January 2, 2026, for an extra long weekend to ring in 2026. 

If you’re in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria or Saxony-Anhalt book off Friday, January 2 and Monday, January 5 and exchange two annual leave days for a six-day holiday stretching from New Year’s Day to the local Epiphany public holiday on January 6. 

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