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German public holidays: important dates in 2021 


Living in Germany? Here’s a list of all the German public holidays you need to know in 2021, as well as other important dates to make a note of on your calendar.
Whether you’re living in Germany or just visiting, it’s important to note the dates of Germany’s public holidays and important dates. This is because on some of these dates, businesses and public institutions will close or have reduced hours.

Introduction to German public holidays
There are nine official public holidays in Germany that are celebrated nationally each year, alongside regional holidays that are only celebrated in certain German states. This means that some German states have more German holidays than others; in fact, lucky locals can enjoy up to 13 days of German public holidays a year, one of the highest public holiday entitlements in Europe.

Many of the German bank holidays are religious and date back centuries. A more recent holiday in Germany is the Day of German Unity on 3 October, which commemorates the anniversary of German reunification in 1990. You can see which national holidays in Germany coincide with Germany’s top festivals, which are a great way to experience German culture and sample regional German food, particularly during the colorful carnival in Germany.

Besides German Unity Day, holidays in Germany are determined by the federal states. However, if a German holiday falls on a weekend, the holiday doesn’t typically transfer to a weekday. Many businesses – but not police stations or hospitals – close during national holidays in German and regional public holidays.

German public holidays during 2021
These holidays are national celebrations in Germany.
1 January (Friday): New Year’s Day (Neujahrstag)
2 April (Friday): Good Friday (Karfreitag)
5 April (Monday): Easter Monday (Ostermontag)
1 May (Saturday): Labor Day (Maifeiertag)
13 May (Thursday): Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt, 40 days after Easter)
24 May (Monday): Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag) – seventh Monday after Easter, also called Pentecost Monday
3 October (Sunday): Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit)
31 October (Sunday): Reformation Day (Reformationstag) – generally a regional holiday in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and parts of Thuringia.
25 December (Saturday): Christmas Day (Weihnachtstag)
26 December (Sunday): Saint Stephen’s Day (Stephanstag) – also known as the second day of Christmas
31 December (Friday): New Year’s Eve

German regional holidays during 2021
These holidays are only celebrated in certain German regions.
6 January (Wednesday): Epiphany (Heilige Drei Könige) – Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and Saxony-Anhalt
3 June (Thursday): Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) – Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, and some local authorities in Saxony and Thuringia
8 August (Sunday): Peace Festival (Freidenfest) – Bavaria (Augsburg)
15 August (Sunday): Assumption Day (Maria Himmelfahrt) – Saarland and some local authorities in Bavaria
1 November (Monday): All Saints’ Day (Allerheiligen) – Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland
17 November (Wednesday): Day of Prayer and Repentance (Buß-und Bettag, Wednesday before 23 November) – Saxony

Important dates in Germany during 2021
15 February (Monday): Shrove Monday
16 February (Tuesday): Shrove Tuesday, also referred to as Carnival
17 February (Wednesday): Ash Wednesday, also referred to asCarnival
28 March (Sunday): Clocks go forward one hour as a result of daylight saving time starting
9 May (Sunday): Mother’s Day (second Sunday of May)
13 May (Thursday): Father’s Day (Vatertag, also known as Männertag/Herrentag, Men’s Day) – coincides with Ascension Day and can be a family celebration or celebrated by an outing with male friends
11 September (Saturday): German Language Day
12 September (Sunday): European Heritage Days – when monument buildings are open to the public
18 September (Saturday): Oktoberfest starts
20 September (Monday): German World Children’s Day
31 October (Sunday): Clocks go back one hour as a result of daylight saving time ending
9 November (Tuesday): Fall of the Berlin Wall
11 November (Thursday): Saint Martin’s Day – a religious observance where children take part in lantern processions
14 November (Sunday): National Day of Mourning – victims of war are remembered and in some regions, music or dance events are prohibited
6 December (Monday): Saint Nicholas Day


Purchase property program-German state nominated program
1. Non-criminal record;
2. 450,000 euros of deposits for more than half a year;
3. Purchase a property in Germany worth more than 250,000 euros;

Purchasing a property and establishing a company program-German state special contribution residency
1. Non-criminal record;
2. Set up a company;
3. Purchase 300,000 euros property (any area in Germany);

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