Early planners can look forward to 2028: almost every public holiday falls on a weekday, many on a Tuesday or Thursday. That gives an above-average number of long weekends for little leave. Here are all dates and the best combinations. As of October 2026.
Public holidays 2028 at a glance
Easter Sunday 2028 is 16 April. 2028 is also a leap year with 366 days.
| Holiday | Date | Weekday | States |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January | Saturday | all |
| Epiphany | 6 January | Thursday | BW, BY, ST |
| International Women's Day | 8 March | Wednesday | BE, MV |
| Good Friday | 14 April | Friday | all |
| Easter Monday | 17 April | Monday | all |
| Labour Day | 1 May | Monday | all |
| Ascension Day | 25 May | Thursday | all |
| Whit Monday | 5 June | Monday | all |
| Corpus Christi | 15 June | Thursday | BW, BY, HE, NW, RP, SL (regionally SN, TH) |
| Assumption Day | 15 August | Tuesday | SL (regionally BY) |
| World Children's Day | 20 September | Wednesday | TH |
| German Unity Day | 3 October | Tuesday | all |
| Reformation Day | 31 October | Tuesday | BB, HB, HH, MV, NI, SN, ST, SH, TH |
| All Saints' Day | 1 November | Wednesday | BW, BY, NW, RP, SL |
| Day of Repentance and Prayer | 22 November | Wednesday | SN |
| Christmas Day | 25 December | Monday | all |
| Boxing Day | 26 December | Tuesday | all |
In addition, Brandenburg has Easter Sunday (16 April) and Whit Sunday (4 June), and the city of Augsburg has its Peace Festival on Tuesday, 8 August. Depending on the state, 9 to 11 holidays fall on Monday to Friday, more than in any other year of this calculator. Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saarland reach 11, and the number of working days drops to 249 to 251.
The best bridge days 2028
| Occasion | Take off | Off | States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epiphany (Thu) | Fri 7 Jan (1 day) | 6–9 Jan (4 days) | BW, BY, ST |
| Women's Day (Wed) | Mon 6–Tue 7 Mar (2 days) | 4–8 Mar (5 days) | BE, MV |
| Easter | Mon 10–Thu 13 Apr (4 days) | 8–17 Apr (10 days) | all |
| Long Easter | 10–13 Apr and 18–21 Apr (8 days) | 8–23 Apr (16 days) | all |
| Ascension Day (Thu) | Fri 26 May (1 day) | 25–28 May (4 days) | all |
| Ascension to Whitsun | Fri 26 May and Mon 29 May–Fri 2 June (6 days) | 25 May–5 June (12 days) | all |
| Corpus Christi (Thu) | Fri 16 June (1 day) | 15–18 June (4 days) | BW, BY, HE, NW, RP, SL |
| Assumption Day (Tue) | Mon 14 Aug (1 day) | 12–15 Aug (4 days) | SL, regionally BY |
| German Unity Day (Tue) | Mon 2 Oct (1 day) | 30 Sep–3 Oct (4 days) | all |
| Reformation Day (Tue) | Mon 30 Oct (1 day) | 28–31 Oct (4 days) | nine states (see above) |
| All Saints' Day (Wed) | Thu 2–Fri 3 Nov (2 days) | 1–5 Nov (5 days) | BW, BY, NW, RP, SL |
| Day of Repentance (Wed) | Mon 20–Tue 21 Nov (2 days) | 18–22 Nov (5 days) | SN |
| Christmas (Mon/Tue) | Wed 27–Fri 29 Dec (3 days) | 23 Dec 2028–1 Jan 2029 (10 days) | all |
Long weekends without any leave in 2028: Easter (14–17 April), 1 May (29 April–1 May), Whitsun (3–5 June) and Christmas (23–26 December).
Example: 10 vacation days in North Rhine-Westphalia
With 10 vacation days and the goal "Most days off", the calculator plans five breaks with a total of 32 days off for North Rhine-Westphalia in 2028:
- Easter: 4 vacation days (10–13 April) for 10 days off
- Ascension Day: 1 vacation day (26 May) for 4 days off
- Corpus Christi: 1 vacation day (16 June) for 4 days off
- German Unity Day: 1 vacation day (2 October) for 4 days off
- Christmas: 3 vacation days (27–29 December) for 10 days off until New Year's Day 2029
That is a ratio of 3.2 days off per vacation day. For comparison: in 2027 the same 10 vacation days give 27 days off in North Rhine-Westphalia. With more leave you can join Ascension and Whitsun into 12 days in a row or stretch Christmas to 17 days (8 vacation days from 18 to 29 December).
Why planning early pays off in 2028
In good bridge day years the popular days go quickly. Your employer has to consider your wishes but may give priority to colleagues with social reasons, such as parents of school-age children (§ 7(1) Federal Leave Act). Many companies collect leave requests for the next year as early as autumn. Also check whether your company sets bridge days as a company closure; then those vacation days are already allocated.
Please note: the 2028 holidays are based on the state holiday laws as of October 2026. If a state changes its law before then, the plan changes too. The bridge days calculator works out your personal plan; the background is in the guide to bridge days.