I have recognized that some of you wondered whether October 31 and/or November 1 are gesetzliche Feiertage (official holidays) in Germany or not. Well, both is right and wrong at the same time. Thus, it seems that Germany is still not completely (re-)united!?
Although church and state are separated in Germany and Religionsfreiheit (freedom of religion) is granted, the official religion of the state is Christianity. Therefore, for example, die Auferstehung von Jesus (the resurrection of Jesus), which is Ostern (Easter) and die Geburt Jesus (the birth of Jesus), which is Weihnachten (Christmas), are official holidays throughout Germany. But other Christian holidays, e.g. Reformationstag (Reformation Day) and Allerheiligen (All Saints’ Day) are respectively only celebrated in some parts of Germany. That is, some Bundesländer (federal states) are katholisch (Catholic) and others are evangelisch (Protestant). Thus, Reformation Day is a holiday in all Protestant states and All Saints’ Day is a holiday in all Catholic states. In order to make clear what official and public holidays we have in Germany and which states celebrate which of these holidays you can find an overview below.
Official holidays in Germany:
| New Year’s Day (Jan 1): |
Is a holiday in all sixteen Bundesländer: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower-Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia |
| Epiphany (Jan 6): |
Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt |
| Good Friday: |
Is a holiday in all sixteen Bundesländer. |
| Easter Monday: |
Is a holiday in all sixteen Bundesländer. |
| May Day: |
Is a holiday in all sixteen Bundesländer. |
| Ascension Day: |
Is a holiday in all sixteen Bundesländer. |
| Whit Monday: |
Is a holiday in all sixteen Bundesländer. |
| Corpus Christi: |
Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hessen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and only in some Catholic administrative districts in Saxony and Thuringia |
| Assumption of Mary (Aug 8): |
Saarland and in some Catholic administrative districts in Bavaria |
| German Unification Day (Oct 3): |
Is a holiday in all sixteen Bundesländer. |
| Reformation Day (Oct 31): |
Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia |
| All Saints’ Day (Nov 1): |
Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland |
| Day of Prayer and Repentance: |
Is a holiday in all sixteen Bundesländer. |
| Christmas Day (Dec 25): |
Is a holiday in all sixteen Bundesländer. |
| Day after Christmas (Dec 26): |
Is a holiday in all sixteen Bundesländer. |
Vocabulary:
der gesetzliche Feiertag – official holiday
die Religionsfreiheit – freedom of religion
die Auferstehung Jesus – the resurrection of Jesus
die Geburt Jesus – the birth of Jesus
das Weihnachten – Christmas (is generally used without the article)
der Reformationstag – Reformation
das Allerheiligen – All Saints’ Day (is generally used without the article)
das Bundesland – federal state
katholisch – Catholic
evangelisch – Protestant
der Neujahrstag – New Year’s Day
die Heiligen Drei Könige – Epiphany (lit. The Three Holy Kings)
der Karfreitag – Good Friday
der Ostermontag – Easter Monday
der erste Mai (1.Mai) – May Day
die Christi Himmelfahrt – Ascension Day (is generally used without the article)
der Pfingstmontag – Whit Monday
der Fronleichnam – Corpus Christi
die Mariä Himmelfahrt – Assumption of Mary (although Mariä is spelled with an ä you pronounce it ‘Maria’)
der Tag der Deutschen Einheit – German Unification Day
der Reformationstag – Reformation Day
das Allerheiligen – All Saints’ Day
der Buß- und Bettag – Day of Prayer and Repentance
der erste Weihnachtsfeiertag – Christmas Day
der zweite Weihnachtsfeiertag – day after Christmas
