School holidays
-
Sunday January 1, 2023
School holidays : The summer holidays in Germany last six and a half weeks.
Holiday dates vary from state to state, as well as for different school years, but the earliest starts in mid-June (end of June) and ends at the end of September
calendars gazetted by the respective Departments of Education
all study programs are aligned with the requirements of the Bologna Process
PISA ranking (average 493): 509 (among the 15 best WW)
Schooling is mandatory till age 16
Average class size: more than 24
school day duration: 5:30 hours
number of instructional hours per year in lower secondary education: 752
Usually no school on Saturday
Please scroll to related Länder to view local school calendars
We carry confirmed dates mostly till July 2024; Further dates are projected dates based on previous years
Please note that authorities may take last-minute decisions; please double-check if this information is vital to you
New Year's Day
-
Sunday January 1, 2023
Secular holiday : The world's most widely celebrated holiday, New Years was set on January 1 by Julius Caesar because that was the date the Roman consuls took over their duties. Paid holiday when falling on Saturday or Sunday
Epiphany
-
Friday January 6, 2023
cards/flowers :
Valentine's Day
-
Tuesday February 14, 2023
cards/flowers : Introduced by Pope Gelasus in 498, perhaps in response to a local Roman tradition of lovers writing their names on an urn in February
Shrove Tuesday
-
Tuesday February 21, 2023
Culture : Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the shriving that English Christians were expected to do prior to receiving absolution immediately before Lent begins. Shrove Tuesday is the last day of shrovetide , somewhat analogous to the Carnival tradition that developed separately in countries of Latin Europe. [Wikipedia]
Ash Wednesday
-
Wednesday February 22, 2023
Culture : The first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter.
According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke; Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, during which he endured temptation by Satan.
Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. [Wikipedia]
Daylight Saving Time
-
Sunday March 26, 2023
Special Events : At 1:00 am local times
April Fools Day
-
Saturday April 1, 2023
cards/flowers : As the story goes, in 1564, France was one of the first nations to make January 1 officially New Year's Day, instead of the last week of March which was previously observed. In 1582, the Pope followed suit. Those who went on celebrating April 1st were mocked. As the zodiacal sign was the fish, The French placed dead fish on the backs of one another. Traditions vary from country to country.
Palm Sunday
-
Sunday April 2, 2023
Culture : Not a paid holiday
Maundy Thursday
-
Thursday April 6, 2023
cards/flowers :
Good Friday
-
Friday April 7, 2023
Catholic or protestant : The First Council of Nicaea (a gathering of bishops in the early days of Christianity) wanted to find a day to commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.
This commemoration had to be linked to Jewish holiday traditions, since the last supper of Christ was believed to be a Jewish Passover meal. But the Jewish calendar is based on lunar and solar cycles, so the Easter celebration had to follow the same calendar.
Easter
-
Sunday April 9, 2023
Catholic or protestant : Not a paid holiday
Easter Monday
-
Monday April 10, 2023
Catholic or protestant : In the year 325, the Council of Nicée determined a date fo Easter. Full Moon would fall the 14th day of a moon month (1). Easter would be marked by the dominical letter(2)and the epactus(3). With the establishment of the equinox ne variatur on March 21, algorithms where elaborated to attribuate a date for Easter whatever the year.
Time between two consecutive new moons: 20 days 12 hours 44 minutes 2.8 - Gives a letter code for the year's calendar Age of the moon on January 1st, minus one unity, 0 being the new moon's age.
Passover
-
Wednesday April 12, 2023
cards/flowers : Deliverance of the Jewish people from Egypt. The Seder service on the first two evenings recounts the story of the Exodus
End of Ramadan (may be changed to the nearest day)
-
Saturday April 22, 2023
cards/flowers : The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Quran; a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, a number of other days. Allah desires for you ease; He desires not hardship for you; and that you should complete the period, and that you should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that perhaps you may be thankful [Wikipedia]
Arbor Day
-
Tuesday April 25, 2023
Culture :
Labor Day/May Day
-
Monday May 1, 2023
Secular holiday : Chicago, Saturday May 1st, 1886: 350,000 workers go on strike to call for an 8-hour working day. Industries are paralyzed nationwide. On Monday, as demonstrations go on, the police open fire. On Tuesday, Chicago is again on strike. Following a bomb launched against them, the police shoot again. 12 dead, of which 7 policemen. 8 anarchists will be condemned and executed. In 1889, the Socialist International Movement met in Paris and declared this day international workers' day . The Soviets will follow suit, just as the Nazis. In France, under the Vichy regime (1940-1944), the celebration is renamed Labour Day .
Mothers' Day
-
Sunday May 14, 2023
cards/flowers : Mothers day has evolved in many countries in different ways. This is because mothers day has different origins in different countries and therefore occurs on different days in the year.
One school of thought claims that this day emerged from the custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Mother worship which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of gods, and Rhea, the wife of Cronus, was held on March 15 to March 18 around Asia Minor. They insist that this custom spread around the world.
Mothering Sunday is the celebration of motherhood in the United Kingdom. It is also known as Mid-lent Sunday, Rose Sunday and Laetare Sunday. It originally comes from the Victorian practice of allowing servants to return home to visit their mothers on this day.
In the United States, Julia Ward Howe (May 27, 1819 - October 17, 1910) was a prominent American abolitionist, social activist, and poet. Howes Battle Hymn of the Republic was first published in the Atlantic Monthly in 1862 and quickly became one of the most popular songs for the Union during the American Civil War. After the war she focused her activities on the causes of Pacifism and womens suffrage. In 1870 she was the first to proclaim Mothers Day, with her Mothers Day Proclamation. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson approved Mothers Day in 1914
Fathers' Day
-
Thursday May 18, 2023
cards/flowers :
Ascension
-
Thursday May 18, 2023
Catholic or protestant : Forty days after Easter, always on a Thursday. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared before his disciples and gathered them to tell them to baptize and spread the good word. He then ascended to heaven on a cloud.
Whit Monday
-
Monday May 29, 2023
Catholic or protestant : Seven weeks after Easter Monday -Marking the day the Holy Spirit entered the disciples left behind and the beginning of their ministry.
Regional holiday
-
Thursday June 8, 2023
Catholic or protestant : Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi
-
Thursday June 8, 2023
cards/flowers : Makeshift altars are displayed on the previous day. Spectacular processions on the Corpus Christi day.