The school holidays in Germany differs by state, and there will changes in dates for each year. There are typically one week of Autumn holidays, one week for Winter Holidays, one to two weeks of Easter Holidays, six weeks of summer holidays, two weeks of Christmas holidays. In addition, there are a number of local and national public holidays in Germany that result in the closure of schools each year.
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Types of School Holidays in Germany
We have various types of school holidays in Germany that students can look forward to throughout the year, these include:
Easter holidays (Osterferien)
In Germany, children are given one to two weeks of Easter vacation, which often begins on the Thursday before Easter Sunday and ends on the following Monday.
Summer Holidays (Sommerferien)
Normally children will have about six weeks of Summer Holidays in Germany, summer vacations begin in late June or early July and continue until late August or early September.
Autumn Holidays (Herbstferien)
School students will receive one to two weeks of holidays as fall break, Autumn School Holidays in Germany typically start beginning in late October and extending until the start of November.
Christmas Holidays (Weihnachtsferien)
We will have about two weeks of vacation as Christmas Holidays in Germany, which typically begins from 23rd or 24th December and lasts until the start of the New Year.
Winter Holidays (Winterferien)
Additionally, some of the states in Germany like Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, etc will have a one-week winter break in during end of January or early February.
Pubic & Regional Holidays
Besides these standard holiday breaks, school do follow the public holidays and regional holidays applicable for respective federal states like Ascension Day, German Unity Day, etc, please refer to the Germany public holidays for 2023 here.
Moveable School Holidays in Germany
All the federal states (with the exception of Berlin, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, and Bavaria) allow public schools and international schools with the freedom to give three to six extra moveable days as School holidays in Germany.
Typically schools use these days to declare holidays for other festivals or special days or use these holidays to declare a holiday on Monday or Friday when a public holiday falls on a Thursday or a Tuesday, to allow for a long weekend.
These additional moveable school holidays in Germany are also popularly known as “bridge days” or “Brückentage”.
School Holidays in Germany 2023
The following are the list of school holidays in Germany for the year 2023 across all federal states (refer this one for official Berlin School Holidays), please do note that schools and the local authorities have the freedom to declare the three to six moveable holidays and hence its better to check with your respective schools for an updated holiday schedule as they are subject to changes.
School Holidays in Baden-Württemberg 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Bridge Day | April 6, 2023 |
| Easter Holidays | April 11 – April 15, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holidays | May 30 – June 9, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 27 – September 9, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 30 – November 3, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 23, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
School Holidays in Bavaria 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Bridge Days | February 20 – February 24, 2023 |
| Easter Holidays | April 3 – April 15, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holidays | May 30 – June 9, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 31 – September 11, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 30 – November 3, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 23, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
School Holidays in Berlin 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Winter Holidays | January 30 – February 3, 2023 |
| Easter Holidays | April 3 – April 14, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | May 30, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holiday | May 30 – June 9, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 13 – August 25, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | October 2, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 23 – November 4, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 23, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
School Holidays in Brandenburg 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Winter Holidays | January 30 – February 3, 2023 |
| Easter Holidays | April 3 – April 14, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 13 – August 26, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 23 – November 4, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 23, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
School Holidays in Bremen 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Winter Holidays | January 30 – January 31, 2023 |
| Easter Holidays | March 27 – April 11, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | May 19, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holiday | May 30, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 6 – August 16, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | October 2, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 16 – October 30, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 23, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
School Holidays in Hamburg 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Winter Holidays | January 27, 2023 |
| Spring Holidays | March 6 – March 17, 2023 |
| Ascension / Whitsun Holidays | May 15 – May 19, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 13 – August 23, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | October 2, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 16 – October 27, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 22, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
School Holidays in Hesse 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Easter Holidays | April 3 – April 22, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 24 – September 1, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 23 – October 28, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 25, 2023 – January 12, 2024 |
School Holidays in Lower Saxony 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Winter Holidays | January 30 – January 31, 2023 |
| Easter Holidays | March 27 – April 11, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | May 19, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holiday | May 30, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 6 – August 16, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | October 2, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 16 – October 30, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 25, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
School Holidays in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Winter Holidays | February 6 – February 18, 2023 |
| Easter Holidays | April 3 – April 12, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | May 19, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holidays | May 26 – May 30, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 17 – August 26, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 9 – October 14, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | October 30 – November 1, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 21, 2023 – January 3, 2024 |
School Holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Easter Holidays | March 25 – April 6, 2024 |
| Whitsun Holiday | May 30, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | June 22 – August 4, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 2 – October 14, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 21, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
School Holidays in Rhineland-Palatinate 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Easter Holidays | April 3 – April 6, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holidays | May 30 – June 7, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 24 – September 1, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 16 – October 27, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 25, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
School Holidays in Saarland 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Winter Holidays | February 20 – February 24, 2023 |
| Easter Holidays | April 3 – April 12, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holidays | May 30 – June 2, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 24 – September 1, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 23 – November 3, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 21, 2023 – January 2, 2024 |
School Holidays in Saxony 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Winter Holidays | February 13 – February 24, 2022 |
| Easter Holidays | April 7 – April 15, 2022 |
| Whitsun Holiday | May 19, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 10 – August 18, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 2 – October 14, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | October 30, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 25, 2023 – January 2, 2024 |
School Holidays in Saxony-Anhalt 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Winter Holidays | February 6 – February 11, 2023 |
| Easter Holidays | April 3 – April 8, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holidays | May 15 – May 19, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 6 – August 16, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | October 30, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 16 – October 30, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 21, 2023 – January 3, 2024 |
School Holidays in Schleswig-Holstein 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Easter Holidays | April 6 – April 22, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holidays | May 19 – May 20, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 17 – August 26, 2023 |
| Bridge Day | October 30, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 16 – October 27, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 25, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
School Holidays in Thuringia 2023
| Holiday | Dates |
| Winter Holidays | February 13 – February 17, 2023 |
| Easter Holidays | April 3 – April 15, 2023 |
| Whitsun Holiday | May 19, 2023 |
| Summer Holidays | July 10 – August 19, 2023 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 2 – October 14, 2023 |
| Christmas Holidays | December 22, 2023 – January 5, 2024 |
FAQ’s About School Holidays in Germany
Is it Okay to take my child on vacation outside school holidays in Germany?
As a general rule, attendance to school is mandatory for kids and the German government forbids parents from sending their kids on vacation while school is in session. There are fine of up to 1000 Euros for parents who don’t abide by the rules.
However, if you still want to take your kids for vacation you should contact your school principal / secretariat at your child’s school to seek appropriate approval.
I am working and How do I get Holiday Childcare in Germany?
During the kid’s school holidays in Germany, some of the parents may still have to attend work and the best way to engage kids during their holidays is to look for holiday learning programs, summer camps and your regular daycare facility will be able to support except during the public holidays or you will have to hire a babysitter to watch your kids at home.
What are total number of School Holidays in Germany?
Depending on the state of your residence the number of holidays ranges between 13 to 15 weeks including the national public holidays, regional holidays and observance days.
Wish you happy holidays and hope you thoroughly enjoy your time with family and friends!
