Become a member
  1. Service
  2. Guides
Automatic translation
This article has been translated automatically using computer technology. While we strive for accuracy, some wording or details may differ from those in the original article.
This translation was not manually reviewed. For important facts, quotations or legally sensitive information, please consult the German original. Individual selections, images, embedded media or technical terms may have been translated differently or incompletely.

Long Weekends in 2026 Make Smart Use of Holidays for Vacation Planning

With smart planning of your vacation days, you can carve out a long stretch of free time. We’ll tell you which national and regional long weekends you can take advantage of in 2026.

Paar beim gemeinsamen Wandern in der Natur
Foto: istock.com/blyjak

11 November 2025 11 November 2025

Many holidays fall on weekends in 2026: Employees will have to work more often next year. This makes it all the more important to make good use of bridge days to extend vacations or plan short trips. It’s advisable to submit vacation requests early.

Workdays between public holidays or before a weekend are referred to as bridge days. These are regular workdays that fall between a public holiday and a day that is already a day off, such as a weekend. In 2026, two nationwide public holidays fall on a Thursday: January 1 (New Year’s Day) and Ascension Day on May 14. The two nationwide bridge days in 2026 are therefore the Fridays immediately following these dates: January 2 and May 15. By taking just one day of vacation, you can then have several consecutive days off. 

Public holidays may vary slightly by federal state. For example, Bavaria has more public holidays than Berlin—and thus more potential long weekends. Important to know: Public holidays are generally determined by your place of work, not your place of residence. For example, if you live in Bavaria but work in Hesse, the Hesse public holidays apply to you. The following list shows the 2026 statutory holidays in Germany, organized by federal state, along with the corresponding long weekends. 

 

Nationwide and Regional Holidays and Long Weekends in 2026


Baden-Württemberg

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend falls on Friday, January 2

January 6, 2026 (Tuesday) – Epiphany; the long weekend includes Monday, January 5

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend begins on Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

June 4, 2026 (Thursday) – Corpus Christi; the long weekend includes Friday, June 5

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

November 1, 2026 (Sunday) – All Saints’ Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

 

Bavaria

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend includes Friday, January 2

January 6, 2026 (Tuesday) – Epiphany; the long weekend includes Monday, January 5

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend begins on Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

June 4, 2026 (Thursday) – Corpus Christi; the long weekend includes Friday, June 5

August 8, 2026 (Saturday) – Augsburg Peace Festival (applies only in Augsburg)

August 15, 2026 (Saturday) – Assumption of Mary (applies in parts of Bavaria)

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

November 1, 2026 (Sunday) – All Saints’ Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Berlin

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend includes Friday, January 2

March 8, 2026 (Sunday) – International Women’s Day

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Whit Monday

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Brandenburg

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend begins on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

October 31, 2026 (Saturday) – Reformation Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Bremen

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

October 31, 2026 (Saturday) – Reformation Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Hamburg

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

October 31, 2026 (Saturday) – Reformation Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Hesse

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

June 4, 2026 (Thursday) – Corpus Christi; the long weekend includes Friday, June 5

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

March 8, 2026 (Sunday) – International Women’s Day

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Whit Monday

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

October 31, 2026 (Saturday) – Reformation Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Lower Saxony

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

October 31, 2026 (Saturday) – Reformation Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

North Rhine-Westphalia

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

June 4, 2026 (Thursday) – Corpus Christi; the long weekend includes Friday, June 5

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

November 1, 2026 (Sunday) – All Saints’ Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Rhineland-Palatinate

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

June 4, 2026 (Thursday) – Corpus Christi; the long weekend includes Friday, June 5

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

November 1, 2026 (Sunday) – All Saints’ Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Saarland

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

June 4, 2026 (Thursday) – Corpus Christi; the long weekend includes Friday, June 5

August 15, 2026 (Saturday) – Assumption of Mary

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

November 1, 2026 (Sunday) – All Saints’ Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Saxony

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

October 31, 2026 (Saturday) – Reformation Day

November 18, 2026 (Wednesday) – Day of Repentance and Prayer

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Saxony-Anhalt

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend includes Friday, January 2

January 6, 2026 (Tuesday) – Epiphany; the long weekend includes January 5

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Whit Monday

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

October 31, 2026 (Saturday) – Reformation Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Schleswig-Holstein

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

October 31, 2026 (Saturday) – Reformation Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day

Thuringia

January 1, 2026 (Thursday) – New Year’s Day; the long weekend ends on Friday, January 2

April 3, 2026 (Friday) – Good Friday

April 6, 2026 (Monday) – Easter Monday

May 1, 2026 (Friday) – Labor Day

May 14, 2026 (Thursday) – Ascension Day; the long weekend includes Friday, May 15

May 25, 2026 (Monday) – Pentecost Monday

September 20, 2026 (Sunday) – World Children’s Day

October 3, 2026 (Saturday) – German Unity Day

December 25, 2026 (Friday) – Christmas Day

December 26, 2026 (Saturday) – Boxing Day


 

Coordinating Vacation Time

Whether and when vacation is granted depends primarily on the circumstances at the workplace and the interests of other employees. The employer can only deny a vacation request if urgent business needs conflict with it or if the social needs of others take precedence—such as those of employees with school-age children. This is often where the problem lies. Employees with school-age children are bound by the statutory school holidays, while others would prefer to take their vacation in the summer.

Employees who cover for one another at work should coordinate their schedules. Experience shows that disputes often arise as early as the planning stage—especially when holidays fall at convenient times. The result: The matter becomes a top priority for management. Generally, it doesn’t matter who in the team requested vacation first. What matters are individual circumstances.

In the event of overlapping requests, the employer will first assess whether granting leave at the same time is operationally feasible. In doing so, the employer must take the employees’ personal circumstances into account—for example, if colleagues’ vacation requests coincide with school breaks. In such cases, employees without children usually have to bite the bullet and reschedule their vacation.

If the vacation requests of several colleagues with school-age children cannot be accommodated for operational reasons, other social criteria may be decisive, such as the vacation of the employee’s partner.


Lists and Requests

Many companies use lists or vacation request forms. If employees submit a coordinated vacation schedule to their supervisor, the supervisor will generally approve it. In some IG Metall collective bargaining agreements, the schedule is even binding on employers.

Approved leave cannot simply be revoked by the boss. That would require a threat of operational collapse. This is especially true once the leave has already begun. A deal is a deal. Therefore, employees also have no legal right to postpone requested leave on short notice.

A change after the fact is only possible with the employer’s consent. This also applies in the event of illness. Anyone who takes time off without approval must expect consequences under labor law. If an employee wishes to take vacation despite the employer’s refusal, he or she must obtain a temporary restraining order from the labor court.


Company-Wide Closures

If an employer wishes to close the business, parts of a plant, or specific departments, this can only be done with the works council’s consent. If the works council approves the plant closure, the entire workforce must take vacation during the “downtime.” Company-wide vacations can be of any duration but may not encompass the entire vacation entitlement.
 


By the way: With our shift calendar, you can cleverly plan long weekends and get the most out of your vacation time.

Go to the shift calendar

You can find a digital shift calendar in our IG Metall app

Plus: A collective bargaining agreement gives you more vacation days and a little extra for your travel fund

Guide

Ein junger Mann steht bei einer Menschenmenge.
Foto: Pastierovic

Your Rights in Labor Disputes The right to strike for apprentices

As an apprentice, are you allowed to participate in warning strikes and strikes? The answer is a definite yes! Here, we’ll explain what rights you have when collective bargaining enters its critical phase.

Zwei Männer in einer Produktionsstätte.

Labor Law Money vs. a Job: What Employees Need to Know About Severance Pay

MINT-Berufe, etwa Industriemechanikerin oder Industriemechaniker, sind bei den Betrieben sehr gefragt.

When Your Apprenticeship Isn’t Going Well Having problems with your apprenticeship? We have solutions

Shirt mit der Aufschrift Gewerkschaft.

The ABCs of Works Council Elections Getting the Works Council Election Off to the Right Start

Hitze am Arbeitsplatz

Summer Heat Guide What to Do When It’s Hot at Work?

New on igmetall.de
Eine Frau mit Ratsche in der Menschenmenge bei einem Warnstreik in der Tarifrunde Metall und Elektro bei Osram und Siemens am 03.11.2026 in Berlin
Foto: Christian von Polentz
2026 Metal and Electrical Industry Wage Negotiations Over 400,000 on warning strike – IG Metall proposes a solution
Eine junge Person hält die Hand einer alten Person
Foto: FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images
Long-Term Care Reform Making long-term care affordable: But fair!
Beschäfftiger leidet unter Stress
GettyImages
DGB Good Work Index Many workers are exposed to high levels of physical strain
Tarifrunde Eisen und Stahl: Warnstreik Salzgitter AG
Foto: Bernd Röttgers
2026 Iron and Steel Wage Negotiations Steel workers demand a 5 percent raise
Podcast „Maloche und Malibu“
Bild: Henning Reith
“Maloche und Malibu” Podcast A Harsh Setback in Collective Bargaining—Now Comes the Response
Blauer Kran mit Greifer auf einem Schrottplatz
Foto: savoilic/iStock/ Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
Union-Busting at Hark Recycling Surveilled by drone and transferred as punishment
Zwei Beschäftigte unterschiedlichen Alters an einer Bohrmaschine.
Foto: iStock/Vesnaandjic
Pension Reform These seven points secure our pensions
Warnstreik bei Lyra in Nürnberg
Foto: IG Metall
2026 Collective Bargaining Round for Writing and Drawing Instruments Higher wages at Faber-Castell, Schwan-Stabilo, and Lyra
Ein Mann und eine Frau mit IG Metall-Fahnen beim Automobil-Aktionstag bei VW am 09.07.2026 in Wolfsburg
Foto: Heiko Stumpe
Volkswagen 2026 Collective Bargaining Round IG Metall Demands Reversal of Collective Bargaining Terminations at VW
Warnstreik Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie JOHNSON&JOHNSON in Wuppertal am 03.03.2023
Foto: Bernd Röttgers
Questions and Answers About Warning Strikes Warning strikes—our legal right
IGM Bezirk Bayern - 1. Verhandlung /Demo Tarifrunde "Bayern: Stabil - Jetzt geht's um alles", Bayerischer Hof, München
Foto: Werner Bachmeier
2026 Metal and Electrical Industry Collective Bargaining Round How IG Metall Secures Jobs
Ein junger Mann sitzt in einer Vorlesung.
Foto: iStock / gorodenkoff
Free of charge and no high school diploma required Studying at the European Academy of Labor

Subscribe to the newsletter