Schools vacation is rejected by Söder
In a move that upholds cultural traditions and regional autonomy, Bavaria has announced it will continue to adhere to its current summer holiday regulation for the foreseeable future. This decision comes amidst proposals by North Rhine-Westphalia to align holiday schedules, a suggestion that Bavaria has rejected.
The scheduling of school holidays in Germany is a decentralised process, with each federal state setting its own dates to help spread out holiday travel and avoid congestion. Bavaria, known for its strong emphasis on family and cultural customs, traditionally starts its summer holidays earlier than North Rhine-Westphalia.
According to the current regulation, Bavaria's summer holidays typically commence in early August and extend until mid-September. In contrast, North Rhine-Westphalia starts its summer holidays later in the year. This difference is a result of each state's unique approach to holiday scheduling.
Anna Stolz, the Bavarian Minister of Education, has defended the current holiday regulation, stating that it is deeply ingrained in Bavarian culture. Markus Söder, the Bavarian Minister President, echoed this sentiment, asserting that Bavaria's holiday rhythm is an integral part of the region's identity.
Despite North Rhine-Westphalia's proposal for a later holiday start, no publicly available plans or announcements suggest that Bavaria will align its holiday schedule with North Rhine-Westphalia or alter its traditional timing. The available data mainly focuses on cultural events and tourism packages in Bavaria during the summer of 2025 but does not address changes in school holiday policies or synchronisation efforts across states.
It is worth noting that Bavaria also enjoys two-week holidays at Whitsun, a practice not common in northern federal states. Dorothee Feller, the Minister of Education in North Rhine-Westphalia, has advocated for a later holiday start, but her proposal has been met with resistance in Bavaria.
For over 50 years, the federal states have been coordinating their holiday calendars to avoid all federal states having holidays at the same time. The justification for the holiday date in Bavaria no longer involves child harvest work, but is now officially justified by the temporal distance from the Whitsun holidays.
For those seeking precise school holiday dates and state-by-state comparisons, official education ministry websites for each federal state or the Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs) in Germany would be the best sources.
- The scheduling of school holidays in Germany, including policy-and-legislation regarding political, social, and cultural affairs, demonstrates a decentralized approach, with each federal state setting its own dates to manage tourist congestion while respecting regional identities.
- In the discussion of aligning holiday schedules among Germany's federal states, Bavaria, which values its unique cultural traditions and identity, has rejected proposals from North Rhine-Westphalia, choosing instead to maintain its traditional early August start for summer holidays.
