Holidays in Germany 2024. Holidays in Germany. Although most students in Germany have just over a month of summer vacation, they will get more than a week off in late October and early November for the autumn break (Herbstferien). During this time, there are also several public holidays, which are days off from work and school. Here’s the calendar of holidays and autumn breaks in Germany for 2024.
Holidays and Autumn Breaks in Germany 2024
Few people in Germany are aware that the autumn break was once known as the “potato holiday.” In some states, Herbstferien was called “Kartoffelferien” because students used to help their families with the fall harvest, including gathering potatoes. These holidays were vital for rural farms, where every helping hand was highly valued. Today, the autumn break lasts just over a week and takes place at different times depending on the federal state. Here are the dates for this year:
- 28.10.2024 – 30.10.2024 – Baden-Württemberg
- 28.10.2024 – 31.10.2024 – Bavaria
- 21.10.2024 – 02.11.2024 – Berlin
- 21.10.2024 – 02.11.2024 – Brandenburg
- 04.10.2024 – 19. 10.2024 – Bremen
- 04.10.2024 and 21.10.2024 – 01.11.2024 – Hamburg
- 14.10.2024 – 25.10.2024 – Hessa
- 21.10.2024 – 26.10.2024 – Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- 04.10.2024 – 19.10.2024 – Lower Saxony
- 14.10.2024 – 26.10.2024 – North Rhine-Westphalia
- 14.10.2024 – 25.10.2024 – Rhineland-Palatinate
- 14.10.2024 – 25.10.2024 – Saarland
- 07.10.2024 – 19.10.2024 – Saxony
- 30.0 9.2024 – 12.10.2024 – Saxony-Anhalt
- 21.10.2024 – 01.11.2024 – Schleswig-Holstein
- 30.09.2024 – 12.10.2024 – Thuringia
German Unity Day Celebration – Tag der Deutschen Einheit
On October 3, Germany celebrates its most important national holiday, German Unity Day – Tag der Deutschen Einheit. This public holiday marks the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. It is a day off nationwide, allowing people to reflect on this historic event. This year, the holiday falls on a Thursday, giving people across Germany a long weekend to celebrate and enjoy the occasion.
Read also: Germany 2024 Holiday Allowance: Employees to Receive Transfers Soon
Reformation Day in Germany – Reformationstag
Reformation Day (Reformationstag) is celebrated annually in Germany on October 31. However, it is only a public holiday and non-working day in specific federal states, including Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia.
Following that, All Saints’ Day (Allerheiligen) on November 1, 2024, is a public holiday and non-working day in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. In the rest of Germany, it remains a normal working day.