School holidays

Christmas break 2025/26

Exact school-holiday ranges by federal state or school group, with planning links and subscription options.

Answer

When is it?

Christmas break 2025/26 is staggered by federal state or school group. The first range is to for SH; the cards below show every group. Christmas break belongs next to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Epiphany where relevant.

Exact dates

By state group

Full overview
SH

to

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein
20 days
School year 2024/25 30% · 109 days until christmas break
HH

to

Hamburg Hamburg
15 days
School year 2024/25 30% · 110 days until christmas break
BW, HB, MV, NI, and ST

to

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg Bremen Bremen Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Niedersachsen Niedersachsen Sachsen-Anhalt Sachsen-Anhalt
13 days
School year 2024/25 31% · 113 days until christmas break
BY, SL, SN, and TH

to

Bayern Bayern Saarland Saarland Sachsen Sachsen Thüringen Thüringen
12 days
School year 2024/25 31% · 113 days until christmas break
HE

to

Hessen Hessen
19 days
School year 2024/25 31% · 113 days until christmas break
MV and NW

to

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Nordrhein-Westfalen Nordrhein-Westfalen
15 days
School year 2024/25 31% · 113 days until christmas break
RP

to

Rheinland-Pfalz Rheinland-Pfalz
17 days
School year 2024/25 31% · 113 days until christmas break
HH

to

Hamburg Hamburg
17 days
School year 2025/26 29% · 107 days until christmas break
SH

to

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein
19 days
School year 2025/26 30% · 109 days until christmas break
MV

to

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
15 days
School year 2025/26 30% · 110 days until christmas break
BB, BE, SL, and SN

to

Brandenburg Brandenburg Berlin Berlin Saarland Saarland Sachsen Sachsen
12 days
School year 2025/26 31% · 112 days until christmas break
BW, BY, HB, NI, and ST

to

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg Bayern Bayern Bremen Bremen Niedersachsen Niedersachsen Sachsen-Anhalt Sachsen-Anhalt
15 days
School year 2025/26 31% · 112 days until christmas break
HE

to

Hessen Hessen
20 days
School year 2025/26 31% · 112 days until christmas break
MV and TH

to

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Thüringen Thüringen
13 days
School year 2025/26 31% · 112 days until christmas break
NW

to

Nordrhein-Westfalen Nordrhein-Westfalen
16 days
School year 2025/26 31% · 112 days until christmas break
RP

to

Rheinland-Pfalz Rheinland-Pfalz
17 days
School year 2025/26 31% · 112 days until christmas break
What to do next

Use the date, then plan around it

Christmas break belongs next to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Epiphany where relevant.

Families

Childcare first

School-free weekdays still need childcare or approved leave.

Work

Not automatically off

School holidays do not replace employment leave rules.

Travel

Expect demand peaks

Starts and ends can affect traffic, booking windows and family destinations.

FAQ

Common questions about christmas break

Short answers about state differences, work leave and planning.

Are christmas break dates the same in every federal state?

No. Christmas break dates differ by federal state or school group. The Christmas break table shows the exact range for each group.

Do christmas break mean parents are automatically off work?

No. State school calendars change care dates, not workplace leave. Christmas break belongs next to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Epiphany where relevant.

How should I plan around christmas break?

Christmas break belongs next to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Epiphany where relevant. Use the federal-state calendar before fixing childcare, travel or leave.

Data basis

Official KMK dates, grouped by state

Christmas break belongs next to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Epiphany where relevant. KMK rows define the range; federal-state or school exceptions require a separate check.

KMK school-holiday regulation KMK holiday calendar How we maintain this data