Preparing for Leisure Time: Strategic Approach to Bridge Holidays in 2025
2025 boasts numerous extended weekends thanks to holidays on Thursdays and Fridays. With strategic planning, you can schedule relaxing breaks – unless your boss has alternative plans.
Experience four days of leisure with one day off: The bridge days in 2025 provide ample opportunities for extended weekends. May 1 and German Unity Day occur on Thursdays.
To secure these coveted days off, act swiftly and collaborate early with your team and superior. In some scenarios, the employer may deny the leave request.
Typically, the regulations for leave on bridge days mirror those for regular leave. The employer must consider the leave request but can reject it in rare instances. This is permitted "if there are compelling operational reasons or the leave requests of colleagues who are socially more vulnerable," clarifies Kathrin Schulze Zumkley, a labor law specialist.
When the employer can deny leave
Compelling operational reasons can comprise significant staff shortages, for instance, due to high sick leave or increased workload, prevalent in certain industries during holidays or seasonal peaks. Personal reasons of colleagues, such as school-aged children or domestic responsibilities, could also take priority, as per Schulze Zumkley.
A somewhat trickier issue with bridge days is whether the employer can reject leave on the basis that it must be granted consecutively. In accordance with the Federal Leave Act, every employee must take at least twelve consecutive days off per year to fulfill the objective of relaxation.
The employer can request consecutive leave, according to Schulze Zumkley. However, if the employee has already taken twelve consecutive days off in the relevant year, this argument no longer applies. Individual days off, such as bridge days, are then possible, provided there are no compelling operational reasons opposing it.
The following days should be marked in the leave calendar immediately:
Epiphany falls on a Monday
Employees in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and Saxony-Anhalt can anticipate a long weekend, as Epiphany (January 6) falls on a Monday in 2025.
Easter: Up to 17 days off with eight leave days
Easter 2025 falls in the late period from April 18 (Good Friday) to April 21 (Easter Monday). With smart leave planning, you can secure numerous consecutive free days with just a few leave days:
- April 14-17: 4 leave days = 10 free days
- April 22-25: 4 leave days = 10 free days
- April 22-30 + May 2: 8 leave days = 17 free days
- May 1: Labor Day falls on a Thursday
Since Labor Day falls on a Thursday in 2025, it's advisable to plan May 2 as a bridge day. This allows for four consecutive free days for a short trip.
Ascension Day: Time for a short trip?
Ascension Day falls on May 29, 2025, as always on a Thursday. If you use May 30 as a bridge day, you can enjoy a long weekend with a total of four free days.
Up to Twelve Days Off Over Ascension and Pentecost
Pentecost follows Ascension, which in 2025 falls on Sunday, June 8, and Monday, June 9. Those who plan strategically and early can secure a break of up to 12 days:
- June 10-13: 4 leave days = 9 free days
- May 30 + June 2-6: 6 leave days = 12 free days
Corpus Christi Falls on a Thursday
In Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland, Corpus Christi is celebrated on June 19, 2025. The holiday falls on a Thursday, as it does every year, offering another chance for an extended weekend.
Assumption Day, German Unity Day, and Reformation Day Extend Weekends in 2025
In 2025, both Assumption Day on August 15, German Unity Day on October 3, and Reformation Day on October 31 provide the opportunity for an extended weekend, as these holidays fall on a Friday, enabling three consecutive free days. However, Assumption Day is only a public holiday in Bavaria and Saarland, and Reformation Day is only a public holiday in Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia.
Christmas and New Year's Bring Longer Breaks
Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are not public holidays, so employees in many businesses must plan to use half or a full leave day if they wish to take these days off. In 2025, both days fall on a Wednesday. December 25 and 26 are a Thursday and Friday, respectively, making for a favorable long weekend. January 1, 2026, falls on a Thursday. The following extended leave combinations are possible over Christmas and New Year's:
- January 2 (Friday): One leave day = 4 days off
- December 29 and 31: 3 leave days = 8 days off
- December 22-24 + above days: 6 leave days = 11 days off
Utilizing the extended weekends, you might propose a professional development opportunity to your boss. Engage in a seminar or workshop during one of these days to enhance your skills.
In some instances, your employer may recognize the importance of personal development and approve the leave request, contributing positively to your career progression.
