Calendera

Public and school holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia 2026

11 public holidays: 3 on a weekend, 3 bridge days

ICSPublic holidaysSchool holidays

Calendar 2026

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Public holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia

11 public holidays, 9 of them observed nationwide

  • 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

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

  • 2 January 2026Fridaythe day after New Year's Day
  • 15 May 2026Fridaythe day after Ascension Day
  • 5 June 2026Fridaythe day after Corpus Christi

When to take leave in North Rhine-Westphalia

What one, two or three days of leave get you:

School holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia

Every holiday period with its dates and length.

  • Christmas Holidays16 days –
  • Easter Holidays13 days –
  • Pentecost Holidays1 day –
  • Summer Holidays44 days –
  • Autumn Holidays15 days –
  • Christmas Holidays15 days –

Catholic holidays, Rhineland carnival, and school calendar in North Rhine-Westphalia

In North Rhine-Westphalia, Corpus Christi and All Saints' Day (1 November) are statutory public holidays under state holiday law, which also provides special protection for Sunday and holiday church services.

Carnival days such as Rose Monday and Shrove Tuesday are not statutory holidays under state law, but widespread civic observance and school closures take place across the Rhineland. School holiday schedules are coordinated by the Ministry of Schools and Education.