German glossary

Holiday terms explained clearly

Plain-language definitions for german public holidays, school holidays, calendar weeks, workplace context and practical planning.

Planner School Holidays Calendar Weeks Events Calendar subscription Data Export

How to use the glossary for holiday planning

The glossary is built for planning intent, not only for dictionary lookups. A user who searches for a public holiday, bridge day or school-holiday term usually wants to know what the term means and what to do next.

Use legal terms such as public holiday, holiday rest or collective agreement when the question is about work. Use planning terms such as bridge day, calendar week or school holidays when the question is about time off, travel or coordination.

For concrete dates, continue with the holiday planner, the school-holiday overview or the calendar weeks overview.

A-Z Index
B C D F G P Q R S

B

1 terms
Planning

Bridge day

Link

A bridge day is a working day between a holiday and a weekend. Taking it off can create a longer continuous break.

Example: The Friday after Ascension Day is a classic German bridge day.

Open planner

C

3 terms
Calendar

Calendar subscription

Link

A calendar subscription keeps public holidays, state holidays and school breaks current in a calendar app.

Example: A subscription is useful when several federal states matter.

Open subscription
Calendar

Calendar week

Link

Calendar weeks help coordinate projects, holidays and school breaks across month boundaries.

Example: CW references are useful when holidays and school breaks overlap.

Calendar weeks
Law

Continued Remuneration Act

Link

The Continued Remuneration Act explains pay context for statutory public holidays.

Example: A public holiday is different from a voluntarily booked bridge day.

Continued Remuneration Act section 2

D

1 terms
Data

Data export

Link

Data export creates public-holiday, regional and school-break data as CSV or iCalendar files.

Example: For HR sheets or planning tools, export is safer than copying dates by hand.

Open export

F

1 terms
Region

Federal state

Link

The federal state is decisive for regional German holidays and school breaks.

Example: Corpus Christi, Reformation Day and Assumption Day depend on the state or local rule.

School holidays

G

2 terms
Holiday

German Unity Day

Link

German Unity Day is the nationwide public holiday on 3 October.

Example: When 3 October is close to a weekend, it is important for autumn travel planning.

German Unity Day
Law

German Working Time Act

Link

The German Working Time Act sets the federal frame for Sunday and public-holiday work. State law decides many regional holidays.

Example: For Corpus Christi, the federal frame is not enough; the state decides whether the day applies.

Working Time Act section 9

P

1 terms
Law

Public holiday

Link

A public holiday can be nationwide or state-specific in Germany.

Example: New Year's Day is nationwide; Assumption Day is regional.

Open overview

Q

1 terms
Daily life

Quiet holiday

Link

Quiet holidays can restrict events or public entertainment. The details are set by state law.

Example: Good Friday often matters for event planning even where travel continues normally.

Good Friday

R

1 terms
Region

Regional holiday

Link

A regional holiday applies only in specific states, municipalities or denominational areas.

Example: Augsburg Peace Festival applies in Augsburg, not across Bavaria.

Filter holidays

S

1 terms
School

School holidays

Link

German school holidays are planned by federal state. Families should compare the exact state calendar.

Example: Summer and Easter breaks differ strongly between states.

School holidays KMK holiday calendar

Common questions about the glossary

Which glossary terms matter most for planning?

Start with public holiday, bridge day, federal state, school holidays and calendar week. These terms decide whether a date is legally free, practically useful or only relevant in a specific region.

Is the glossary legal advice?

No. The glossary explains planning terms in plain language. Binding decisions should be checked against official legal sources, your school, employer or collective agreement.

Why do terms differ by country or region?

Germany uses its own legal sources, regional terms and school calendars. The glossary connects those terms with the planner, school-holiday view and official sources.