Christmas Day dining table in Germany

Christmas Day

Public holiday Nationwide Falls on Friday

Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December in 2026 and is a nationwide statutory public holiday. Boxing Day follows on Saturday, with no substitute weekday.

Christmas planning needs 24, 25 and 26 December kept separate: the 25th is nationwide public holiday, while the surrounding dates follow different calendar rules.

Check bridge days Practical info
Author
Brückentage-Planer.de editorial team
Last checked
Source basis
official sources and editorial review
Overview

At a glance

What matters for Christmas Day before you plan the days around it.

Date
Christmas Day falls on Friday in 2026.
Status
Nationwide
Nationwide public holiday on 25 December.
Applies in
nationwide
Scope: all German states.
Planning cue
Check surrounding days
For 25 December, check the service, rota, destination hours and return journey with the relevant provider, and treat 26 December separately.

Christmas Day is a nationwide Friday holiday in 2026, followed by the second Christmas holiday on Saturday. Germany does not add a replacement weekday when Christmas falls at a weekend.

For 25 December, check the service, rota, destination hours and return journey with the relevant provider, and treat 26 December separately.

Friday is the first Christmas public holiday in 2026; Saturday 26 December follows as its own holiday. Christmas Eve on Thursday is not automatically part of the public-holiday block.

Leave calculation

Bridge days and leave

Read Christmas through New Year as one block

In 2026, Christmas Day falls on Friday and 26 December follows on Saturday. That already creates a three-day break through Sunday without leave.

To stay off from Christmas Day through Sunday 3 January 2027, take leave from 28 to 31 December. Four leave days connect Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day into ten days off.

Families should include school holidays, visiting times and return travel; teams need to settle leave between Christmas and New Year and on-call duties early.

Anyone staying off work until Sunday 3 January 2027 needs to plan the days between the years as ordinary leave, not as public holidays.

For family journeys, the three Christmas dates are separate appointments: meals, overnight stays, return travel and on-call duties can differ on each day.

Smart Vacation Planner

Maximize your free time around Christmas Day:

Long Weekend (Christmas Day) This holiday extends the weekend without using vacation days. Check the week around Christmas Day directly.
Practice

Everyday rules

Move shopping and reservations earlier, and check published holiday times for every journey and opening.

Work

Friday, 3-day break

Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December in 2026, creating a three-day break through Sunday without leave. Christmas Eve on Thursday remains a separate leave decision.

School and family

Coordinate the school break

Christmas school holidays are running, but their start and end vary by state. Plan visits and childcare against the school location and the second Christmas holiday.

Local service

Visits before the return

In 2026, Christmas Day starts a three-day weekend. Households making more than one visit should treat arrival, 26 December and the journey home as one itinerary.

Published hours

Shop before the 25th

Complete routine shopping before Friday 25 December. Transport, emergency pharmacies, restaurants and attractions need a direct check of their published holiday hours.

Public-holiday status clarifies the base plan, but it says nothing by itself about emergency services, restaurants, transport or confirmed reservation times.

German Christmas Day dining table with candles and festive food
Legislation

Legal context

Nationwide day off, specific services and openings

Christmas Day applies in all 16 German states. Its statutory status is uniform and needs no regional distinction.

Anyone working in a permitted holiday service must check the place of work, rota, employment contract and applicable collective agreement. The general holiday status does not replace that check.

Emergency services, restaurants, attractions and transport publish their own holiday hours. Those provider details control a specific journey or reservation.

The scope is uniform nationwide; differences arise in rotas, school-break dates, operator hours and family travel, not in the holiday area.

Pay and rota

For employees normally scheduled on Friday, section 2 of the Continued Remuneration Act supplies the cited baseline. Permitted holiday work also requires section 9 of the Working Time Act and the rota.

24, 25 and 26 December

Christmas Eve is not a statutory public holiday. Christmas Day and 26 December are separate nationwide public holidays and need separate treatment in leave and rota planning.

Anyone working at Christmas must check the actual duty and applicable exceptions. Nationwide public-holiday status does not make every operation automatically closed or every shift automatically free.

Christmas

Meaning of Christmas Day

The first full public holiday of Christmas

25 December is the first statutory Christmas holiday. After Christmas Eve, it begins the quieter feast day for services, shared meals, visits and rest.

The existing EKD source places Christmas Eve and both Christmas holidays within the church Christmas cycle. Christmas Day sits between preparation and the second holiday rather than standing alone.

For a specific service, restaurant or visit, use published times and confirmed reservations.

Christmas Day is the central statutory holiday of the Christmas period; Christmas Eve prepares for it, while Boxing Day continues the festive period as a separate date.

Celebration

Family and visits

Family time between Christmas Eve and 26 December

For many households, Christmas Day is the quieter part of the celebration. A main meal, further family visits or a shared service often take place on 25 December.

Several households should coordinate visiting times, meals and overnight stays together. The second holiday offers another day off, but it remains a separate date with its own travel and reservations.

People who do not celebrate or live alone may shape the day differently. Reliable arrangements and accessible services matter more than a single family model.

Families visiting several households should decide which visit belongs on Friday and which on Saturday. This keeps routes and rest periods realistic.

Travel

Christmas and winter travel

Reservations and winter travel without a holiday gap

Rail connections, hotel restaurants and winter accommodation should be confirmed specifically for 25 December. Routine opening cannot be assumed on a public holiday.

For longer trips, the whole period through New Year matters. Arrival, 26 December, leave between Christmas and New Year and the return journey belong in one calendar.

Travel on 25 December needs a confirmed connection and a reliable arrival time; the holiday is not evidence of a normal timetable.

FAQ

Questions

Common questions about Christmas Day

Is Christmas Day a nationwide statutory holiday?

Yes. 25 December is a statutory public holiday in all 16 German states.

Is Christmas Eve also a statutory public holiday?

No. 24 December is not a statutory public holiday; leave and working time must be settled separately.

Are shops open on 25 December?

Do not plan routine shopping for 25 December. Check location-specific exceptions and published holiday hours directly with the provider.

Which Christmas dates should I plan together?

Plan Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, 26 December and the days through New Year as one period.

What should I reserve early for 25 December?

Confirm rail connections, restaurant seats, hotels, service times and family visits in good time.

Next steps

Plan next

Plan on from Christmas dinner to New Year

First settle rotas, visits, meals and overnight stays for 24 to 26 December. Then decide whether leave between Christmas and New Year should extend the block.

Next open school holidays and calendar weeks, secure confirmed reservations and keep shared dates visible through calendar subscription or export.

First enter Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day as separate dates. Then add school breaks, leave between the years, visits and the return journey.

Everyone can then see which days are public holidays and which free days come from leave, school holidays or personal arrangements.

Sources & further reading

  1. Working Time Act section 9 : Federal rule for Sunday and public-holiday work exceptions.
  2. Continued Remuneration Act section 2 : Pay rule after statutory scope is established.
  3. KMK holiday calendar downloads : School-break downloads for calendar comparison.
  4. EKD on Christmas : Church and practical context for Christmas Eve and the two Christmas public holidays.
  5. Christmas Eve (24 December) : The practical planning day before the two statutory Christmas holidays.
  6. Second Christmas Day (26 December) : The second statutory Christmas holiday for visits, return travel and winter breaks.
  7. New Year's Eve (31 December) : Opening-hours and year-end travel context.