If you are living in Berlin, Germany, it's important to be aware of the public holidays celebrated in the city. Public holidays in Berlin are a mix of religious, cultural, and national celebrations. In this article, we'll cover all the public holidays in Berlin.

List of holidays in Berlin 2024

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List of holidays in Berlin 2025

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Informal holidays 2024

Karneval: February 5 – February 11, 2024

• Start: Monday
• End: Monday

BFF (Berlin Film Festival): February 5 – February 15, 2024

• Start: Monday
• End: Thursday

Maifest (Mayfest): May 1, 2024 (Wednesday)

Carnival of Cultures: May 17-20, 2024

• Start: Friday
• End: Monday

Muttertag (Mother’s Day): May 12, 2024 (Sunday)

Vatertag (same as Ascension Day): May 9, 2024 (Thursday)

Oktoberfest: September 21 – October 6, 2024

• Start: Saturday
• End: Sunday

Martinstag (St. Martin's Day): November 11, 2024 (Monday)

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Types of Berlin holidays

There are a few different types of holidays in Berlin that are worth mentioning:

Berlin public holidays

There are 10 public holidays that are celebrated in Berlin. These include New Year's Day, Easter Monday, Labor Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. In addition to the nationwide holidays, Berlin celebrates International Women’s Day (Frauentag). 

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Berlin religious holidays

While many of Berlin’s holidays are based on religious observances, such as Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, the city itself is very secular. During these holidays, you’ll find Berliners clubbing at night and relaxing in the local park during the day. 

Easter in Berlin

Easter (Ostern) is one of the most popular holidays celebrated in Berlin, second only to the Christmas season. Easter in Berlin is from April 18th - April 20th 2025. Good Friday (Karfreitag) and Easter Monday (Ostermontag) are public holidays — so you can expect to get paid leave on those two days as you enjoy a long weekend. 

Cultural holidays

Berlin has a rich cultural history, and its holidays reflect this. For example, the Carnival of Cultures is a four-day event that celebrates the diversity of cultures in Berlin (May 17-20, 2024). 

How public holidays work in Berlin

In Berlin, public holidays mean most businesses are closed, just like Sundays. Full-time employees get the day off and are still paid. The holidays celebrated depend on the state where you work, not where you live. Each Berlin state has different public holidays; for example, Women's Day is a public holiday in Berlin, but not Epiphany or Corpus Christi. Bavaria has 13 public holidays, while Berlin only has 10.