This page covers German vocabulary for holidays including common holiday names, cultural traditions, and useful phrases. It’s designed to help you understand, celebrate, and talk about holidays in German.
Holiday Types
Common types of holidays and celebrations in German, from public holidays to religious and seasonal festivities. These words will help you identify and talk about different kinds of holidays.
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example Sentence (German) | Example Sentence (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| der Feiertag | die Feiertage | holiday, public holiday | holidays, public holidays | Am Feiertag sind alle Geschäfte geschlossen. | On the holiday, all shops are closed. |
| das Fest | die Feste | festival, celebration | festivals, celebrations | Wir gehen zum Weihnachtsfest. | We are going to the Christmas celebration. |
| der Urlaub | die Urlaube | vacation, holiday | vacations, holidays | Ich mache nächsten Monat Urlaub. | I am taking a vacation next month. |
| der Brauch | die Bräuche | custom, tradition | customs, traditions | Der Weihnachtsbaum ist ein deutscher Brauch. | The Christmas tree is a German custom. |
| das Ereignis | die Ereignisse | event | events | Silvester ist ein großes Ereignis in Deutschland. | New Year's Eve is a big event in Germany. |
| das Festtag | die Festtage | feast day, holiday | feast days, holidays | Ostern ist ein wichtiger Festtag. | Easter is an important holiday. |
Common Holidays
Here are some of the most common holidays celebrated in Germany, with their German names and English equivalents.
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example Sentence (German) | Example Sentence (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weihnachten | — | Christmas | — | Zu Weihnachten schenken wir uns Geschenke. | At Christmas, we give each other presents. |
| Ostern | — | Easter | — | Ostern feiern wir das Ende des Winters. | At Easter, we celebrate the end of winter. |
| Neujahr | — | New Year's Day | — | Am Neujahr machen viele Leute Feuerwerk. | On New Year's Day, many people set off fireworks. |
| Silvester | — | New Year's Eve | — | An Silvester feiern wir den Jahreswechsel. | On New Year's Eve, we celebrate the change of the year. |
| Tag der Deutschen Einheit | — | Day of German Unity | — | Am Tag der Deutschen Einheit sind alle Bundesländer frei. | On Day of German Unity, all federal states have a day off. |
| Karneval | — | Carnival | — | Im Karneval verkleiden sich viele Menschen. | During Carnival, many people dress up in costumes. |
| Pfingsten | — | Pentecost | — | Pfingsten ist ein christlicher Feiertag. | Pentecost is a Christian holiday. |
What is 'Pfingsten'?
Pentecost
'Pfingsten' is Pentecost, a Christian holiday celebrated 50 days after Easter.
What is the German word for 'New Year's Day'?
Neujahr
'Neujahr' is New Year's Day. 'Silvester' is New Year's Eve, 'Weihnachten' is Christmas, and 'Tag der Deutschen Einheit' is Day of German Unity.
Holiday Traditions
Learn some vocabulary for common activities and traditions during German holidays.
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example Sentence (German) | Example Sentence (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| das Geschenk | die Geschenke | gift, present | gifts, presents | Ich habe ein Geschenk für dich. | I have a present for you. |
| der Weihnachtsbaum | die Weihnachtsbäume | Christmas tree | Christmas trees | Wir schmücken den Weihnachtsbaum. | We decorate the Christmas tree. |
| das Feuerwerk | die Feuerwerke | fireworks | fireworks | Zu Silvester gibt es Feuerwerk. | There are fireworks on New Year's Eve. |
| die Kerze | die Kerzen | candle | candles | Auf dem Adventskranz brennen vier Kerzen. | Four candles burn on the Advent wreath. |
| der Adventskalender | — | Advent calendar | — | Ich habe einen Adventskalender mit Schokolade. | I have an advent calendar with chocolate. |
| das Lied | die Lieder | song | songs | Wir singen Weihnachtslieder. | We sing Christmas songs. |
| das Festessen | — | feast | — | Zum Fest gibt es ein großes Festessen. | There is a big feast for the celebration. |
Useful Phrases
These phrases will help you talk about holidays, make plans, and share wishes in German.
| German Phrase | English Translation | Example Sentence (German) | Example Sentence (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frohe Weihnachten! | Merry Christmas! | Ich wünsche dir Frohe Weihnachten! | I wish you Merry Christmas! |
| Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! | Happy New Year! | Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! | Happy New Year! |
| Frohe Ostern! | Happy Easter! | Frohe Ostern! – Hast du schon Eier gefärbt? | Happy Easter! – Have you already dyed eggs? |
| Schöne Feiertage! | Enjoy the holidays! | Ich wünsche dir schöne Feiertage. | I wish you to enjoy the holidays. |
| Frohes Fest! | Happy holidays! | Frohes Fest! – Lass uns feiern! | Happy holidays! – Let’s celebrate! |
| Frohes neues Jahr! | Happy New Year! (formal) | Ich wünsche Ihnen ein frohes neues Jahr. | I wish you a happy new year. |
| Einen guten Urlaub! | Have a good vacation! | Einen guten Urlaub! – Erhol dich gut! | Have a good vacation! – Get some rest! |
What does 'Einen guten Urlaub!' mean?
Have a good vacation!
'Einen guten Urlaub!' is how you say 'Have a good vacation!' in German.
Summary
Here’s a quick summary of the key holiday vocabulary you’ve learned:
- Feiertag = public holiday
- Weihnachten = Christmas
- Ostern = Easter
- Geschenk = gift
- Feuerwerk = fireworks
- Frohe Weihnachten! = Merry Christmas!
With this vocabulary and these phrases, you can better understand German holiday traditions and join in the celebrations.
Flashcards (1 of 27)
- English Translation: Happy New Year!
- Example Sentence (English): Happy New Year!
Start Now
- Access 2.5x the number of exercises.
- Chat with the Loco AI.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
