Public holidays · 2026
Ascension Day falls on Thursday, 14 May 2026 in Germany in 2026.
A public holiday across Germany: most employees have the day off.
In 2026 it falls on a Thursday, a working day.
The date changes from year to year.
Saturday and Sunday · A public holiday does not always close every business. Essential services, shops and some industries keep working, and pay rules differ by country and contract.
Ascension Day commemorates the ascent of Jesus into heaven, forty days after the resurrection, as told in the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospels of Mark and Luke. According to Acts, Jesus appeared to the apostles over a period of forty days and was then taken up into a cloud while they watched. The feast marks the end of the appearances of the risen Jesus and prepares for Pentecost, ten days later. In the Western church it always falls on a Thursday, although the Catholic Church allows some countries to move it to the following Sunday. In 2027 it falls on 6 May in the West and on 10 June in the Orthodox churches.
In Germany the day is also known as Vatertag or Männertag, a men's day when groups go hiking with wagons and drinks, a secular custom that has grown alongside the religious one. In many countries, such as Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Austria and the Nordic states, it is a long-weekend holiday, and in a number of Catholic regions, processions with blessings of the fields and crops are held. Because it is a Thursday, many people take the Friday off as well, producing a four-day weekend. Church services are held in the morning.
Everywhere in Germany.
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Questions
A public holiday across Germany: most employees have the day off.
Thursday, 14 May 2026.