Public holidays 2026 in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia has 11 public holidays in 2026; 8 fall on a working day.
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All public holidays with date and weekday
| Date | Weekday | Holiday | Countdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Neujahr | ||
| Friday | Karfreitag | ||
| Monday | Ostermontag | ||
| Friday | Tag der Arbeit | ||
| Thursday | Christi Himmelfahrt | ||
| Monday | Pfingstmontag | ||
| Thursday | Fronleichnam | ||
| Saturday | Tag der Deutschen Einheit | ||
| Sunday | Allerheiligen | ||
| Friday | 1. Weihnachtstag | ||
| Saturday | 2. Weihnachtstag |
Falling on a weekend in 2026: Tag der Deutschen Einheit (Saturday, 3 Oct), Allerheiligen (Sunday, 1 Nov) and 2. Weihnachtstag (Saturday, 26 Dec). The holiday laws do not provide a substitute day off.
Not a public holiday in every state, but in North Rhine-Westphalia: Fronleichnam and Allerheiligen.
For comparison: in 2026 the number of public holidays ranges from 10 (Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein) to 12 (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Hesse and Saarland). North Rhine-Westphalia lies in between with 11.
Christmas Eve (24 Dec) and New Year's Eve (31 Dec) are not public holidays in Germany, although many employers give the whole or half day off.
Long weekends 2026
11 times a public holiday lies close to a weekend – with a little leave it becomes a long weekend:
| Take leave | Off | Days of leave | Days off | Ratio | Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 2 Jan | 1 Jan – 4 Jan 2026 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Neujahr |
| Mon 30 Mar, Tue 31 Mar, Wed 1 Apr, Thu 2 Apr | 28 Mar – 6 Apr 2026 | 4 | 10 | 2.5 | Karfreitag, Ostermontag |
| Tue 7 Apr, Wed 8 Apr, Thu 9 Apr, Fri 10 Apr | 3 Apr – 12 Apr 2026 | 4 | 10 | 2.5 | Karfreitag, Ostermontag |
| Mon 27 Apr, Tue 28 Apr, Wed 29 Apr, Thu 30 Apr | 25 Apr – 3 May 2026 | 4 | 9 | 2.3 | Tag der Arbeit |
| Mon 11 May, Tue 12 May, Wed 13 May | 9 May – 14 May 2026 | 3 | 6 | 2 | Christi Himmelfahrt |
| Fri 15 May | 14 May – 17 May 2026 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Christi Himmelfahrt |
| Tue 26 May, Wed 27 May, Thu 28 May, Fri 29 May | 23 May – 31 May 2026 | 4 | 9 | 2.3 | Pfingstmontag |
| Mon 1 Jun, Tue 2 Jun, Wed 3 Jun | 30 May – 4 Jun 2026 | 3 | 6 | 2 | Fronleichnam |
| Fri 5 Jun | 4 Jun – 7 Jun 2026 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Fronleichnam |
| Mon 21 Dec, Tue 22 Dec, Wed 23 Dec, Thu 24 Dec | 19 Dec – 27 Dec 2026 | 4 | 9 | 2.3 | 1. Weihnachtstag, 2. Weihnachtstag |
| Mon 28 Dec, Tue 29 Dec, Wed 30 Dec, Thu 31 Dec | 25 Dec – 3 Jan 2027 | 4 | 10 | 2.5 | 1. Weihnachtstag, 2. Weihnachtstag, Neujahr |
Counted are gaps of up to four working days between a public holiday and the weekend or another public holiday. "Ratio" = days off per day of leave. Weekends follow the local working week.
Sources
- § 2 Abs. 1 FeiertagsG NRW: Nordrhein-Westfalen: Gesetz über Sonn- und Feiertage (Feiertagsgesetz NRW) (retrieved Sep 26, 2026)
- Art. 2 Abs. 2 Einigungsvertrag: Einigungsvertrag – Tag der Deutschen Einheit
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