Opening hours at Easter 2024: This is how long the shops will be open

• At Easter, supermarket opening times differ from normal working days.
• There are also differences depending on the state and city.
• In addition, there is a general ban on dancing nationwide on the Easter holidays. The regulations vary depending on the federal state.

This year, Easter will take place again without Corona restrictions for a long time. However, as in previous years, you cannot shop regularly on the holidays. Because separate legal regulations apply. It should also be noted that some of the opening times at Easter also depend on the respective federal state. Below we have summarized the most important information about the opening hours at Easter for you.

Maundy Thursday on March 28, 2024

Maundy Thursday, this year March 28th, is often mistakenly considered a public holiday due to its name and its proximity to Easter. However, this is not the case nationwide and therefore all shops, whether groceries, electronics and more, are open regularly.

Good Friday on March 29, 2024

A different rule applies to Good Friday on March 29th, which marks the beginning of Easter in Christianity. This day is a public holiday throughout Germany. Retail is completely closed on this day and you can safely stay at home. However, shops that have special permission have opened their doors. These can be, for example, gas stations or, in individual cases, shops in train stations or airports.

Holy Saturday, March 30, 2024

Holy Saturday, which falls on March 30 this year, is also often confused with a regular holiday. This is a normal opening day. All retail stores are open on this day and you can go shopping as normal.

Many people will probably want to do their last shopping before the Easter holidays on Holy Saturday. Retailers and the federal government are therefore currently calling for people to start shopping before Good Friday. This way you can avoid queues and traffic jams at the checkouts.

Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024

Easter Sunday is one of the most important Christian holidays and also a public holiday in Germany. For this reason, all retail stores are closed on Easter Sunday. Service providers such as hairdressers and the post office also remain closed. However, bakeries, gas stations or shops in airports and train stations can open with special permission.

Easter Monday, April 1, 2024

Easter Monday is as important as Easter Sunday, so the same conditions apply to Easter Monday on April 1st. This means that retail, including service providers, are completely closed. So there is no option to go shopping on this day. However, a special permit can also be granted here, for example for gas stations, bakeries or kiosks.

Grocery store opening hours

If you are not sure whether and for how long the shops are open on Maundy Thursday or Holy Saturday, you should check the shops’ websites to see what opening times apply.

Ban on dancing on Good Friday

Since Easter is considered the most important festival in Christianity and Christians commemorate the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday, the Easter holidays are also considered so-called silent holidays. This means that there is a nationwide ban on dancing in Germany and that discos and events with musical performances are therefore prohibited. However, the regulations vary depending on the federal state.

We give you an overview below:

• Baden-Württemberg: There is a ban on dancing from Maundy Thursday at 2 a.m. until Holy Saturday at 8 p.m.
• Bavaria: There is a ban on dancing from Maundy Thursday at 2 a.m. until Holy Saturday at midnight. There is also a general ban on musical performances of any kind in bar rooms.
• Berlin: There is only a ban on dancing on Good Friday from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., otherwise there are no restrictions on the Easter holidays.
• Brandenburg: There is a ban on dancing from Good Friday at midnight until Holy Saturday at 4am.
• Bremen: There is only a ban on dancing on Good Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., otherwise there are no restrictions on all Easter holidays.
• Hamburg: There is a ban on dancing on Good Friday from 5 a.m. to midnight. The exception is the area around the Reeperbahn. The regulation is not viewed as strictly there.
• Hesse: There is a ban on dancing from Maundy Thursday at 4 a.m. until Holy Saturday at midnight. The same applies to Easter Sunday and Easter Monday from 4 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: There is a ban on dancing from Good Friday, midnight, until Holy Saturday, 6 p.m.
• Lower Saxony: There is a ban on dancing from Maundy Thursday at 5 a.m. until Holy Saturday at midnight.
• North Rhine-Westphalia: There is a ban on dancing from Maundy Thursday at 6 p.m. until Holy Saturday at 6 a.m. NRW is also the only federal state to ban all non-public events outside of homes, such as private parties in parks.
• Rhineland-Palatinate: There is a ban on dancing from Maundy Thursday at 4 a.m. until Holy Saturday at midnight.
• Saarland: There is a ban on dancing from Maundy Thursday at 4 a.m. until Easter Sunday at 4 p.m.
• Saxony: There is a ban on dancing only on Good Friday from midnight to midnight.
• Schleswig-Holstein: There is a ban on dancing from 2 a.m. on Good Friday until 2 a.m. on Holy Saturday.
• Thuringia: There is a ban on dancing only on Good Friday from midnight to midnight.

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