Question 1

What calendar week is it today?

Accepted Answer

The calculator shows the current calendar week at the very top — it is calculated in your browser from today's date and is therefore always up to date. You also see which Monday and Sunday the week runs from and to, and how many calendar weeks are left in the year.

Question 2

How is the calendar week calculated?

Accepted Answer

Germany follows ISO 8601: the week starts on Monday, and week 1 is the week containing the first Thursday of the year. In other words, the first calendar week is always the week in which 4 January falls. All further weeks are counted consecutively from there.

Question 3

How many calendar weeks does 2026 have?

Accepted Answer

2026 has 53 calendar weeks. 1 January 2026 is a Thursday, so it already belongs to week 1, which starts on Monday, 29 December 2025. Week 53 runs from 28 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. 2027, by contrast, has 52 calendar weeks again.

Question 4

Why does 1 January sometimes belong to week 52 or 53?

Accepted Answer

If 1 January falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the week containing it does not yet contain the first Thursday of the new year. It then counts as the last calendar week of the previous year. For example, 1 January 2027 (a Friday) is part of week 53 of 2026. Conversely, 29 to 31 December can already be in week 1 of the following year.

Question 5

When does a year have 53 calendar weeks?

Accepted Answer

A year has 53 calendar weeks if it starts on a Thursday — or, in a leap year, on a Wednesday. This happens roughly every five to six years, exactly 71 times in the 400-year cycle. Examples: 2015, 2020, 2026, 2032 and 2037.

Question 6

Which public holidays does the calculator show?

Accepted Answer

You choose your German state, and the yearly overview marks all statutory public holidays of that state — from the nine nationwide holidays to regional ones such as Corpus Christi, Reformation Day, Day of Repentance and Prayer (Saxony), World Children's Day (Thuringia) or International Women's Day (Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). Holidays that only apply in parts of a state are marked with an asterisk. Movable holidays are derived from the date of Easter.

Question 7

Do other countries count calendar weeks the same way?

Accepted Answer

Most European countries also use ISO 8601. In the USA, Canada and some other countries, however, the week often starts on Sunday and the first week is the one containing 1 January. There, the same week can carry a different number. For international appointments it is therefore worth stating a date rather than just a week number.

Question 8

Can I download the yearly overview?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Below the table you will find a button that saves all calendar weeks of the chosen year with Monday, Sunday, working days and holidays as a CSV file. The file opens in any spreadsheet program. The calculation and the export run entirely in your browser.

Guide: Calendar Week Calculator

Calendar Weeks Explained: How Week Numbers Work Under ISO 8601

Why 2026 Has 53 Calendar Weeks — and What It Means for Planning and Payroll

Calendar Weeks 2027: When Week 1 Starts and Which Weeks Have Holidays

Bridge Days 2027: How to Get the Most Time Off With Little Leave

Calculating the Week Number in a Spreadsheet: the Right Formulas

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