Christmas Day is a nationwide public holiday on 25 December 2026. Christmas Eve, the second holiday, household visits and winter travel remain separate calendar entries.
Christmas Day is a distinct statutory holiday; the surrounding dates need their own checks.
Nationwide public holiday on 25 December. Christmas Day falls on Friday, 25 December 2026 in 2026 and applies in all 16 German states. It is normally free in a Monday-to-Friday schedule; other services follow the confirmed rota.
Christmas Eve is not a public holiday, while 26 December is. Leave, work, school breaks and visits should therefore be recorded separately for all three dates.
Public holidays, personal plans and travel times should not be treated as one undifferentiated break.
Use 25 December for a main household visit or a quiet family day. Give other visits, church services and return travel their own time windows so journeys and meals do not overlap.
Second Christmas Day provides another statutory day off. Leave between Christmas and New Year, however, begins only with confirmed working days after the holiday block.
Assumption: Monday-Friday working week.
Maximize your free time around Christmas Day:
Nationwide scope does not replace the rota, school calendar or provider timetable.
Holiday work, pay and compensatory rest depend on legislation, the applicable agreement and the actual rota.
Christmas breaks and childcare follow the published calendar for the actual school location; the public holiday does not define the full break.
Meals, household visits and overnight stays need specific times and confirmed reservations.
Rail, bus, hotels and the return journey follow each provider's published holiday schedule.
The Christian background explains the holiday; each household decides how to spend it.
In the Christian calendar, 25 December celebrates the birth of Jesus and follows Christmas Eve. Church services, shared meals and quiet family time shape the day in different ways.
Public events, services and restaurants have their own locations and times. Confirm those details with the relevant organiser or provider.
Open the relevant calendar or tool below.