Did you ever get up at stupid o’clock, loiter away half an hour composing an exhaustive shopping list – the one where you put the items in the same order as they are at the store – before jam-packing your car with empty Pfand bottles, and driving off to Kaufland, Rewe, or Edeka, only to pull in to an empty parking lot, National Lampoon style, realizing the place is closed?
Rookie mistake. But don’t worry, we’ve all been there.
With 12 German public holidays per year, it’s easy to miss one. Even more so, since only nine of them are observed nationwide. The rest, plus some additional federal ones, vary by state.
Fun fact: Augsburg has its very own citywide holiday – the Peace Festival.
German stores aren’t only closed those days, but also every Sunday. Plus, they may have shorter hours on special days like December 24th or New Year’s Eve. However, for emergency purchases, there are always gas stations and airport or train station stores.
A lot of other places stay open on holidays and Sundays, including restaurants, museums, pools, and other leisure facilities. So, do as the locals. Carpe diem and flock to your nearest mini-golf course, movie theater, or ice cream parlor to enjoy idling away among sweaty strangers. Please note: Exceptions to opening hours may apply, so always double-check before making the trip!
If you plan on using public transport, know that buses and trains may run less frequently on holiday schedules. However, in many places – though not all – parking is free those days.
Pro tip: Avoid shopping the day before or after a holiday – especially if stores are closed several days in a row. Germans may be used to this, but that doesn’t mean they don’t act like they need to prep for a category five hurricane paired with an alien invasion every single time stores close during the week.
So what are the exact days this happens, you ask? Well, I can’t help you with the official dates for any future annexations by extraterrestrials, but here’s a list of holidays in the state of Baden-Württemberg. If you want to learn about store closures in other areas, check out this website.
| DATE | HOLIDAY |
|---|---|
| January 1st 2021 | New Year’s Day |
| January 6th 2021 | Three Kings Day |
| April 2nd 2021 | Good Friday |
| April 5th 2021 | Easter Monday |
| May 1st 2021 | Labor Day |
| May 13th 2021 | Ascencion Day |
| May 24th 2021 | Whit Monday |
| June 3rd 2021 | Corpus Christi |
| October 3rd 2021 | Anniversary of German Unification |
| November 1st 2021 | All Saints’ Day |
| December 25th 2021 | 1st Christmas Day |
| December 26th 2021 | 2nd Christmas Day |
| January 1st 2021 | New Year’s Day |
| January 6th 2021 | Three Kings Day |
| April 15th 2022 | Good Friday |
| April 18th 2022 | Easter Monday |
| May 1st 2022 | Labor Day |
| May 26th 2022 | Ascencion Day |
| June 6th 2022 | Whit Monday |
| June 16th 2022 | Corpus Christi |
| October 3rd 2022 | Anniversary of German Unification |
| November 1st 2022 | All Saints’ Day |
| December 25th 2022 | 1st Christmas Day |
| December 26th 2022 | 2nd Christmas Day |
