Holidays in Germany. Holidays in Germany for May 2024. Germany will soon have four holidays when people don’t work. It’s uncommon for several holidays to happen at once because some of them can change dates. In May this year, Germany will celebrate Labor Day, Ascension Day, Whitsunday, and Corpus Christi. Having lots of holidays means more long weekends and school breaks. Remember these dates to plan your May Day trip well.
May 1 in Germany – Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit)
Labor Day (Tag der Arbeit) is celebrated in Germany on May 1. It’s a public holiday in all federal states. This year, Labor Day falls on Monday, giving many people the opportunity to enjoy a long weekend.
Feast of the Ascension of the Lord (Christi Himmelfahrt) – a movable feast, in 2024 it falls on May 26
The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, or Christi Himmelfahrt, is a movable feast observed on Thursday, the 40th day after Easter. It has been a public holiday in Germany since the 14th century. In 2024, Ascension of the Lord falls on Thursday, May 18. Truck drivers should be mindful of traffic restrictions. It’s worth noting that on Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt), Germans also celebrate Father’s Day (Vatertag) and Men’s Day (Männertag).
Holidays in Germany in May 2024: Whitsunday
May 19, 2024 – Sunday – Pentecost in Germany – Pfingstsonntag – a day off from work in Brandenburg
May 20, 2024 – Pentecostal Monday in Germany – Pfingsmontag – a day off from work throughout Germany
Pentecost is a significant religious holiday in Christianity, observed 50 days after Easter. Pentecost Monday (this year on May 20) is a national public holiday in Germany, providing a day off from work across the country. Students also typically have time off from school to mark the occasion. Below is the calendar of Pentecost holidays divided by individual states.
Pentecostal holidays in May 2024
- May 21-31 – Baden-Württemberg
- May 21 – June 1 – Bavaria
- May 10 – Berlin
- May 10 – Brandenburg
- May 10; May 21 – Bremen
- May 10; May 21 – 24 Hamburg
- May 10; May 17-21 – Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- May 10 May 21 – Lower Saxony
- May 21 – North Rhine-Westphalia
- May 21 – 29 Rhineland-Palatinate
- May 21 – 24 – Saarland
- May 10; May 18-21 – Saxony
- May 21-24 – Saxony-Anhalt
- May 10 – 11 – Schleswig-Holstein
- May 10 – Thuringia
Corpus Christi in Germany 2024
Corpus Christi in Germany, known as Fronleichnam, is a public holiday in several states: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. This year, the holiday falls on Thursday, May 30th.
Read also: 2024 public holidays in Germany – Mark these down!
Truck driving ban in Germany in May 2024
In Germany, driving bans on Sundays, holidays, and Saturdays during the holiday period apply to trucks weighing more than 7.5 tons and trucks with trailers, irrespective of their weight. This restriction also extends to empty runs. In May 2024, besides Sundays, the driving ban also applies on public holidays:
- May 1, 2024 (Wednesday): Labor Day (Tag der Arbeit) – A nationwide day off from work.
- May 9, 2024 (Thursday): Ascension of the Lord (Christi Himmelfahrt) – A nationwide day off from work.
- May 19, 2024 (Sunday): Whitsunday (Pfingstsonntag) – A day off from work in Brandenburg.
- May 20, 2024 (Monday): Pentecostal Monday (Pfingstmontag) – A nationwide day off from work.
- May 30, 2024 (Thursday): Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) – A public holiday in select federal states: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland.
The following are not subject to the driving ban in Germany on Sundays and holidays:
- Trucks transporting perishable food items such as milk and dairy products, meat, fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables are exempt from the driving ban.
- Combined transport of goods, including a combination of rail and road within 200 km from the loading station, or ship and road within 150 km from the loading port, is also permitted during the ban.
- Additionally, rescue, towing, or emergency vehicles responding to accidents are exempt from the restrictions.
- Furthermore, the transportation of live bees is allowed regardless of the driving ban.
Please ensure that you possess all the necessary transport or accompanying documents as required by law for all goods being transported. These documents must be readily available for inspection by authorized personnel upon request. Failure to provide the required documentation may result in penalties or delays in transportation.