There are years when the calendar has no heart for workers.

Christmas Eve falls on a Friday and the non-working Christmas holidays fall on the weekend.

Thanks go to Pope Gregory XIII, who is responsible for the calendar used in Germany.

And then there are years like 2023, in which apart from the two public holidays, which are always on a Sunday (Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday), only New Year's Day falls on a Sunday.

All other federal holidays are midweek.

And with that comes the hour of the bridging days.

Manon Priebe

editor.

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Who can blame workers if they so cleverly schedule their vacation days that they bridge the gaps between holidays by doing nothing?

The dear colleagues of course!

Because bridging days are one thing: If you plan cleverly and with foresight, you can squeeze out a lot of free time with a minimal use of vacation days.

On the one hand.

On the other hand, it's also easy to arouse the team's displeasure when the others only have "normal" free time.

So that everyone has the opportunity for one or the other long weekend, we create equal opportunities and list the best crafting tips for a long holiday or a short break.

Holy Three Kings

The first holiday of the year that falls on a working day is Epiphany.

January 6, 2023 is a Friday, but a public holiday only in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Saxony-Anhalt.

So there is a short work week after the turn of the year and a long weekend.

Or you can get nine days of winter vacation with four vacation days.

women's Day

March 8, Women's Day, is a Wednesday.

Everyone who works in Berlin or Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania can have a total of nine days off with four days of vacation.

Easter

Easter Sunday remains a Sunday, nothing can be done about it.

But there is still Good Friday, April 7th, 2023, and Easter Monday, April 10th.

And so four days of vacation can be extended to ten days off, eight days of vacation become 16 days off around Easter.

Labor Day

Labor Day on Monday, May 1, 2023, gives us a long weekend nationwide.

If you need a longer break, you can take four days off and get the nine days off from April 29th to May 7th.

Ascension of Christ

One of the classic nationwide bridging days is the Friday after Ascension Day.

The holiday in 2023 is on May 18th.

With a day off you get four days off.

Pentecost

By using six days of vacation, you gain a full twelve days without work because Whit Monday, May 29th.

is a national holiday.

Or you take four days off after Whit Monday and have nine days without work.

Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi on Thursday, June 8th, 2023 is only a public holiday in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland - and thus Friday, June 9th.

a bridging day in these federal states.

Or you can extend the Pentecost vacation using eight vacation days and get 16 days off in a row.

Assumption Day

On August 15, the Catholics celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, but there is only a day off in Saarland and parts of Bavaria.

In 2023, the Assumption Day falls on a Tuesday, which is why a four-day weekend can be conjured up there with a Monday off.

World Children's Day

Anyone who works in Thuringia is happy about a work-free Wednesday on World Children's Day (September 20, 2023).

Or you take four vacation days and have nine days off in a row.

Day of German unity

We celebrate the Day of German Unity nationwide on October 3, 2023, a Tuesday.

That can mean: take vacation on Monday and get four days off.

Reformation Day

The same game on Reformation Day on October 31 – however, this Tuesday is only a public holiday in Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia.

all saints day

All Saints is only interesting for Bridge Day hobbyists in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.

November 1, 2023 is a Wednesday;

in order to build the bridge, you need two vacation days here.

Day of Prayer and Repentance

November 22, 2023 is a Wednesday throughout Germany, but only a public holiday in Saxony, namely a day of repentance and prayer.

Christmas

Christmas and New Year 2023 are very worker friendly.

Christmas Day December 25, 2023 is a Monday, and Boxing Day is consequently a Tuesday.

Three days of vacation turns into a whole free Christmas week.

Seven days of vacation from December 23, 2023 to January 7, 2024 means 16 days off in a row.

Incidentally, there should also be people who particularly enjoy working on bridging days.

Because then it's so nice and quiet in office corridors or in factory buildings.

And don't annoy your dear colleagues.