DATES DURING THE YEAR

Hollydays

On the following public and church holidays in Lower Saxony, government offices, businesses, schools and shops will be closed. Additionally, if a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, employers will often permit the Monday or Friday off, the so-called Brückentag (“bridge day”) or Fenstertag (“window day”)

January 1 - New Year’s Day
Easter - is a four-day holiday. Starting with Good Friday, businesses are closed until and including the following Monday (shops are open on Saturday). Many people take trips on that weekend (beware of the traffic!)
May 1 - Tag der Arbeit
All shops and businesses are closed on the German “labor day”.
Ascension Day - Christi Himmelfahrt (40 days after Easter Sunday, always a Thursday)
Whit Monday - Pfingstmontag (11 days after Christi Himmelfahrt)
Corpus Christi - Fronleichnam (10 days after Whitsun, always a

Thursday)
October 3 - Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit)
Christmas - December 24 (Heiligabend): Shops and businesses are normally open until midday
December 25 and 26: All shops and businesses are closed
December 31 - New Year’s Eve (Silvester): Shops and businesses are normally open until midday