Holidays in Germany
North Rhine-Westphalia

Public holidays and school holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia 2026

Calendar 2026

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Public holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia 2026

11 public holidays — nine apply nationwide, the rest are set by the state.

  • 1 Jan · Thursday
  • 3 Apr · Friday
  • 6 Apr · Monday
  • 1 May · Friday
  • 14 May · Thursday
  • 25 May · Monday
  • 4 Jun · Thursday
  • 3 Oct · Saturday
  • 1 Nov · Sunday
  • 25 Dec · Friday
  • 26 Dec · Saturday

Bridge days in North Rhine-Westphalia 2026

One day of leave, four days off — outlined in dashed red in the calendar.

  • 2 January 2026FridayNew Year's Day — day after
  • 15 May 2026FridayAscension Day — day after
  • 5 June 2026FridayCorpus Christi — day after

School holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia 2026–2027

The summer holidays start on 20 July.

  • Christmas holidays16 days –
  • Easter holidays13 days –
  • Whitsun holidays1 day –
  • Summer holidays44 days –
  • Autumn holidays15 days –
  • Christmas holidays15 days –
  • Easter holidays13 days –
  • Whitsun holidays1 day –
  • Summer holidays44 days –
  • Autumn holidays15 days –
  • Christmas holidays16 days –

Which public holidays apply in North Rhine-Westphalia on top of the nationwide ones?

Nine public holidays apply across Germany: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, German Unity Day and the two Christmas holidays. Everything beyond that is decided by each state — in North Rhine-Westphalia that means All Saints' Day and Corpus Christi.

Other years: Public holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia 2025 · Public holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia 2027 · Public holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia 2028