Germany (Europe in general) has many more holidays than America, not to mention paid time off. Holidays vary between states, so unless you have the German language packs installed on your computer, I recommend using the below to add them (and then if you’re like me, add a “DON’T COME TO WORK” appointment as well, since I still forget sometimes).

The next upcoming holiday
Holidays in the year
Holidays by state, generally indicating “closed” days meaning no open shops.
I use this one for my work calendar.

This post is timed because May has the most holidays of the year, averaging one a week in some years. All shops are closed on holidays and some restaurants as well. I would advise going to the grocery store two or three days in advance, because people forget they won’t starve for a day and clean out the shelves in panic. The worst is over Easter, when we have 4 days of closed shops, with that Saturday being a day I assume all retailers get a little Black Friday type boost.

What to do on holidays?

You’re probably going to want to catch up on Netflix during the winter months but in the spring it’s much more tempting to head outside.
Unless you’re like me here as well and are suffering newly found allergies. Then every trip outside is a mix of sad excitement, knowing the air is ruining any fun you may have.
In the warmer months, more restaurants stay open on some of these days (exceptions being Good Friday, Easter and Christmas, which is December 24th-26th) and sitting outside with a latte and a late breakfast is a favorite of mine.
Lots of people like to head up into the hilly forests around town and hike around. This is the season of winewalks and wanderings and there are plenty to choose from every weekend. The swimming pools open up around May 1 (which is also a holiday, when it falls on a workday) as well. And finally, if you’re missing the beach a bit, I love this place.

What to do before holidays?

You should shop, because shopping on holidays is not a thing here. Whether that’s for food or for fun, the stores are not going to be open (unless you need a pharmacy). Plan to eat out or to go to the grocery store early to have supplies on hand, especially around Easter and Christmas.
No shopping available on a holiday means no annoying ads for discounts just because it’s a holiday, which always felt pretty artificial to me in the states: “Honor our presidents by purchasing a mattress for 20% off!” On the other hand, since opening times are so strict, these would be the perfect days to catch up on pantry staples or finally get a new pair of jeans because yours are quite honestly embarrassing to be seen in these days (def not me. maybe me.).