Epiphany cake and winter breakfast in southern Germany

Epiphany

6 January 2026 Regional holiday BW, BY, ST Falls on Tuesday

Epiphany on 6 January is not a nationwide German holiday; it applies in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt. For many calendars, it closes the Christmas school-break, carol-singing and return-travel period.

Check bridge days Practical info
Overview

At a glance

What matters for Epiphany before you plan the days around it.

Date
6 January 2026
Epiphany falls on Tuesday in 2026.
Status
Public holiday in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt.
Gesetzlicher Feiertag in Baden-Württemberg, Bayern und Sachsen-Anhalt
Applies in
Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt
The state, workplace and school location matter.
Planning cue
Check surrounding days
Check the state first. Then read school breaks, return travel, the first full January work block and any overlap with New Year's Day.

Epiphany on 6 January is not a nationwide German holiday; it applies in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt. For many calendars, it closes the Christmas school-break, carol-singing and return-travel period.

In Germany, the legal status is regional: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt treat the date as a statutory public holiday.

Public holiday in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt. The decisive place is not always the home address: workplace, school location and travel destination can each change the answer.

Check the state first. Then read school breaks, return travel, the first full January work block and any overlap with New Year's Day. That check should happen before booking travel, moving meetings or assuming that school and work calendars line up.

Leave calculation

Bridge days and leave

Close Christmas breaks and return travel

1 leave day = 4 days

4 days off with 1 leave day

With one leave day, Epiphany can become a long weekend.

Recommendation
Take Monday off
Block
3 January – 6 January 2026

Epiphany belongs with New Year's Day, Christmas school breaks and the first full work block in January.

For families, the main questions are return travel, childcare and the shift back to school or work.

For multi-location teams, calendars must show where 6 January is free and where appointments run normally.

For regional holidays, choose the correct state before comparing leave days. Keep Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt separate from places where the same date remains a working day.

Smart Vacation Planner

Maximize your free time around Epiphany:

Long Weekend (Epiphany) Take Monday off (05/01) and get 4 days off in a row for just 1 vacation day.
Practice

Everyday rules

Work, school, shopping, travel and family logistics need a concrete answer for 6 January 2026.

Work

State status

The state scope is the first work filter. Epiphany applies in Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt; teams crossing state borders should mark where the date is free and where it remains a working day.

Family

School calendar

School calendars can change the value of Epiphany. Check the state, school location and surrounding days before travel or shared childcare is fixed.

Travel

Demand shifts

Demand follows Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt, not the whole country. Hotels, rail, restaurants and event tickets can be tight in holiday states while other states keep a normal rhythm.

The holiday effect depends on the workplace or school location in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria or Saxony-Anhalt.

Oft ist es der letzte freie Tag, bevor Schule und regulärer Arbeitsalltag im neuen Jahr wieder voll anlaufen.

Rückreisen aus dem Winterurlaub ballen sich häufig rund um diesen 6. Januar.

Southern German doorway with Epiphany blessing and winter coats
Legislation

Legal context

The legal question is narrow; the planning question around Epiphany is broader.

State public holiday

Epiphany applies in Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt. The same date can therefore be a day off for one location and an ordinary working day for another.

Pay and rota

For pay, the workplace location matters more than the headline. Check whether Epiphany is statutory in Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt for the actual place of work.

Regional caveat

Because Epiphany is limited to Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt, cross-state calendars should show both the free locations and the places that keep working.

For the legal baseline, Epiphany has to be separated from the surrounding workdays. Public holiday in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt. The neighbouring days can still require leave, flexitime or a school-specific rule.

For Epiphany, section 9 of the Working Time Act explains Sunday and public-holiday rest, while section 2 of the Continued Remuneration Act belongs to pay on statutory public holidays. Neither replaces the local rota, collective agreement, school notice or state-specific holiday status.

A calendar entry should therefore show the statutory holiday and any chosen leave days as separate decisions.

FAQ

Questions

Common questions about Epiphany

Where is Epiphany a statutory public holiday in Germany?

In Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt.

Is 6 January a nationwide public holiday?

No. In the other German states, the date is usually a normal workday.

What nearby dates should I check?

New Year's Day, Christmas school breaks, return travel, school restart and the first full January work block.

Do I have to work on Epiphany?

Epiphany applies in Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt. The decisive check is the actual workplace, not only where you live.

Are shops open on Epiphany?

In Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt, public-holiday opening rules can apply; outside those states, normal working-day or weekend rules may continue.

Is Epiphany useful for bridge-day planning?

Yes. Take Monday off can create the block 3 January – 6 January 2026.

What should I check next to Epiphany?

Also check New Year's Day, Christmas school holidays, return travel and the first full work or school block in January.

Background and planning

Once date and scope are clear, the background helps explain why Epiphany is handled this way and how much sensitivity the planning needs.

Background

Meaning and context

Regional close of the Christmas period

6 January is associated with Epiphany, carol singers and the end of many Christmas routines.

In Germany, the legal status is regional: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt treat the date as a statutory public holiday.

That creates a typical January split between regions still paused and locations already back to regular work.

Der Dreikönigstag markiert im Süden und Westen den traditionellen Abschluss der Weihnachtsferien.

Scope

States and scope

Three states, not all of Germany

The holiday effect depends on the workplace or school location in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria or Saxony-Anhalt.

For neighbouring states, 6 January is usually a normal workday, even when family visits or school breaks still matter.

Opening hours, school and rosters should therefore be checked against the specific state.

For 2026, Epiphany applies in Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt. Anyone coordinating across states should mark the places that are off separately from places where 6 January 2026 remains a normal working day.

Travel planning

Trips and useful offers

Winter, family and regional tradition

Relevant ideas include family brunch, Epiphany cake, rail connections, winter hotels, carol-singer context and quiet outings.

Calendar data is especially useful when southern German locations work with other federal states.

Next steps

Plan next

Move from reading to the next concrete step.

Start with Epiphany on 6 January 2026, confirm Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Sachsen-Anhalt, then compare the surrounding workdays and school calendar.

If travel, childcare or more than one household is involved, keep the calendar view open while comparing options.

Nutze den Tag als Übergang, um dich auf das neue Arbeitsjahr vorzubereiten.

For Epiphany, use the bridge-day planner, the school-holiday calendar and the calendar-week overview.

For recurring annual planning, keep both the holiday and the chosen leave days visible. Next year's comparison is faster when this year's decision is still in the calendar.

Sources & further reading

  1. Baden-Württemberg public holidays : State overview of statutory public holidays in Baden-Württemberg.
  2. Bavaria Holiday Act Article 1 : Bavarian holiday list, including Assumption Day and the Augsburg Peace Festival special cases.
  3. Saxony-Anhalt Holiday Act : State-law basis for Epiphany and Reformation Day in Saxony-Anhalt.
  4. katholisch.de on Epiphany : Church context for Epiphany, Three Kings Day and the regional end of the Christmas season.
  5. Continued Remuneration Act section 2 : Context for continued remuneration once public-holiday status and workplace are clear.
  6. KMK holiday calendar downloads : Calendar downloads for German school holidays, useful when comparing school breaks with public holidays.
  7. New Year's Day (1 January) : The year-start directly after New Year's Eve; useful for return travel and first workdays.
  8. New Year's Eve (31 December) : The evening before New Year's Day with opening hours, travel home and year-end planning.
  9. Working Time Act section 9 : Federal frame for Sunday and public-holiday work, exceptions and rota planning.