Public holidays in Germany, 2023

How Germany public holidays work in 2023

Germany has nine federally guaranteed public holidays under the Feiertagsgesetz of each Land, but the full list runs to thirteen because six of the sixteen federal states add regional holidays. Bavaria observes the most with thirteen, including Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Assumption of Mary and All Saints' Day; Berlin and most northern states observe nine. Reformation Day was made a national one-off in 2017 to mark the 500th anniversary of Luther's theses, then became permanent only in the northern Lutheran states. Augsburg uniquely observes Augsburger Friedensfest on 8 August, the only city-level public holiday in Europe granted by statute.

Working days in Germany

German labour law distinguishes between Werktag, meaning any day except Sunday and a recognised public holiday, and Arbeitstag, the actual scheduled working day for the individual employer. Saturday is a Werktag in the legal sense, which matters for notice periods under the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch section 193 and for the calculation of statutory leave under the Bundesurlaubsgesetz. The standard private-sector week is Monday to Friday with Saturday occasionally used in retail and trades. Bank settlement follows the TARGET2 calendar within the eurozone, which closes only six days a year, so domestic German bank holidays do not automatically suspend cross-border euro settlement.

For people planning cross-border meetings, the practical move is to overlay Germany's calendar with the calendars of the other countries on your team. A week that looks completely clear from your end might be a national holiday on theirs. The compare tool above pairs two country calendars and highlights the overlapping closures, so you can spot the weeks where almost no one is at their desk before you put a launch on the board.