Work Smarter, Not Longer: Brückentage 101

Germany is the Wurst No. 11

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, May is one of those rare months during which it is actually enjoyable to live in Germany.

What exactly makes the month of May so pleasant, you ask? If you are employed in Germany, May is a wonderful time to (not) work because it is packed with public holidays and long weekends. In fact, there are so many public holidays in May this year that I stopped keeping track, until someone wished me a happy long weekend. And those who are in the know, know that when there are public holidays in Germany, there are also Brückentage.

I’ve mentioned before that the German language has very specific words for certain occasions and situations. Brückentage, literally translated as bridge days or bridging days, are days that people take off from work to bridge the time between a public holiday and the weekend. For example, if a public holiday falls on a Thursday, almost everyone will take off on Friday, thus creating a nice, long four-day weekend.

Germans take their vacation time pretty seriously. In fact, if you ever find yourself in a conversation lull with a German, just ask them where they are planning their next vacation. In fact, entire websites are dedicated to optimizing Brückentage so that Germans can stretch their annual vacation days to the absolute max. After all, Germans are known for their efficiency; however, a lesser-known fact is that said efficiency mainly pertains to planning their vacations and not things they pretend to care about, like public transportation or immigration.

Here is an overview of the abundance of public holidays this May in Hessen:

Wednesday, May 1: Tag der Arbeit (Labor Day)

A midweek holiday isn’t ideal for Brückentage, but if you’re feeling bold, take off Thursday and Friday. Two-day work week for the win!

Thursday, May 9: Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day)

Thursday is the holy grail public holiday day of the week. And let’s be honest, does anyone really “work” on Fridays, anyway?

Sunday, May 19: Pfingstsontag (Whit Sunday)

If a public holiday falls on the weekend in Germany, the following weekday is, unfortunately, not recognized as a day off. Luckily, Whit Sunday and Monday are a two-day deal.

Monday, May 20: Pfingstmontag (Whit Monday)

No Brückentag situation here, just an automatic three-day weekend.

Thursday, May 30: Fronleichnam (Corpus Christi)

Cha-ching. Jackpot public holiday on Thursday + Brückentag Friday = yet another 3-day work week this month.

May is simply a wonderful month to (not) work in Germany.