Frankfurt School Holiday Calendar (2026/2027): No Whitsun Break, Plus 4 Movable Days
Hesse's official Ferientermine for the 2026/2027 school year, set by the Hessisches Kultusministerium, run: autumn holidays 5 to 17 October 2026 (already over), Christmas holidays 23 December 2026 to 12 January 2027, Easter holidays 22 March to 2 April 2027, and summer holidays 28 June to 6 August 2027. Hesse structurally doesn't have a separate Pfingstferien (Whitsun break) or a Winterferien (ski holiday) the way several other German states do, and its summer holiday runs six straight weeks (28 June to 6 August 2027), a normal length rather than a replacement for those breaks. On top of that fixed calendar, each of Hesse's Staatliche Schulämter sets the school year's bewegliche Ferientage (moveable holiday days) for its own district (4 in 2026/2027, 3 in 2027/2028), and Frankfurt's own Schulamtsbezirk has set these for 2026/2027: Friday 5 February and Monday 8 February 2027 (the Friday before Fasching weekend plus Rosenmontag itself), then Friday 7 May 2027 (the day after Ascension) and Friday 28 May 2027 (the day after Corpus Christi). For holiday childcare, Frankfurt's ESB (Erweiterte Schulische Betreuung) is registered through the same kindernetfrankfurt.de system as term-time care and includes all-day holiday programmes, but it can close on a limited number of days a year (up to 20 from 1 August 2026, 25 before, 27 for Hort), and the city subsidises lunch at a maximum of 3 euros per child.
The Official Rule
Hesse’s school holidays, the Ferientermine, are set centrally by the Hessisches Kultusministerium, the state education ministry, and they’re a genuinely different shape than what families moving from several other German states might expect.
| Holiday period | Dates |
|---|---|
| Herbstferien (autumn) | 5 – 17 October 2026 (already over) |
| Weihnachtsferien (Christmas) | 23 December 2026 – 12 January 2027 |
| Osterferien (Easter) | 22 March – 2 April 2027 |
| Sommerferien (summer) | 28 June – 6 August 2027 |
For planning ahead, the same ministry page lists 2027/2028 as autumn 4 – 16 October 2027, Christmas 23 December 2027 – 11 January 2028, Easter 3 – 14 April 2028 and summer 3 July – 11 August 2028, with 3 moveable days that year instead of 4.
Hesse structurally has no separate Pfingstferien (Whitsun break) or Winterferien (ski holiday), unlike Berlin’s short Whitsun block or Bavaria’s much longer one. Hesse’s Sommerferien run six straight weeks (28 June to 6 August 2027), a normal length rather than a stand-in for the missing breaks.
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels
Frankfurt’s Own Moveable Holiday Days
On top of the statewide calendar above, Hesse gives each of its Staatliche Schulämter additional bewegliche Ferientage (moveable holiday days, 4 in 2026/2027 and 3 in 2027/2028) to set within its own district, and the choices can differ from one Hesse district to the next (most are similar, a few differ), so a date that’s a school holiday in a neighboring area isn’t automatically one in Frankfurt.
| Date | Tied to |
|---|---|
| Friday, 5 February 2027 | Day before Fasching weekend |
| Monday, 8 February 2027 | Rosenmontag |
| Friday, 7 May 2027 | Day after Ascension (Christi Himmelfahrt) |
| Friday, 28 May 2027 | Day after Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) |
Frankfurt’s own Schulamtsbezirk has picked Rosenmontag and the Friday before it as one pair. Most other Hesse districts take Rosenmontag and Faschingsdienstag instead, and several (Kassel, Wiesbaden, Weilburg, Bebra, Fritzlar, Marburg) differ more, so a date that is free in a neighboring district can be a normal school day in Frankfurt. Rosenmontag is not a statutory public holiday in Hesse, which is why it needs a moveable day.
Holiday Childcare
Frankfurt’s school-based afterschool care, ESB (Erweiterte Schulische Betreuung), is registered through kindernetfrankfurt.de (Pakt für den Ganztag places for grades 1 and 2 also go through it, while grades 3 and 4 register directly at the school) and, according to the city, includes all-day holiday programmes. It is not open every day: the city’s page still says ESB closes at most 25 days a year, but the Magistrate states that from 1 August 2026 the closing days are cut to 20 a year (25 for ESB and 27 for Hort applied before), so ask your child’s site which days it is closed and whether holiday weeks need a separate sign-up. Cost depends on your child’s grade: grades 1 and 2 pay an income-based Elternentgelt (subsidy requestable at your local Sozialrathaus) plus lunch, while grades 3 and 4 pay only for lunch and holiday care itself. Lunch is subsidised by the city and costs at most 3 euros per child, and reductions are available through the Sozialrathaus or Jobcenter Frankfurt for families eligible for Bildungs- und Teilhabepaket benefits or holding a Frankfurt-Pass.
Step by Step
- Mark the four fixed 2026/2027 Ferien blocks. Autumn (5-17 Oct 2026, already over), Christmas (23 Dec 2026-12 Jan 2027), Easter (22 Mar-2 Apr 2027), and summer (28 Jun-6 Aug 2027).
- Add Frankfurt's own 4 moveable days separately. 5 and 8 February, 7 May, and 28 May 2027 (3 moveable days instead of 4 in 2027/2028), since these are specific to Frankfurt's own Schulamtsbezirk, not a statewide default.
- Don't expect a Whitsun or ski-week break. Hesse doesn't schedule either, so plan around the fixed blocks and the moveable days.
- Confirm your child's existing ESB or Hort place covers the holidays you need. It includes holiday programmes, but it can close up to 20 days a year from 1 August 2026, so ask your site for its closing days and holiday sign-up rules.
- If cost is a concern, ask your Sozialrathaus about Elternentgelt support for grades 1-2, or about Bildungs- und Teilhabepaket or Frankfurt-Pass discounts regardless of grade.
Compliance Note
This page lists Hesse’s official school holiday dates for the 2026/2027 school year and Frankfurt’s own moveable holiday days, current as of November 2026. It is not legal advice. School holiday dates can change, always confirm current dates directly with the Hessisches Kultusministerium or the Staatliches Schulamt für die Stadt Frankfurt am Main before finalizing travel, leave, or childcare plans.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Why doesn't Hesse have a Whitsun break (Pfingstferien) like some other states?
It's a structural choice, not an oversight. Hesse's official Ferienordnung simply doesn't include a separate Pfingstferien or a Winterferien (ski holiday) block, unlike states such as Bavaria or Berlin that build a short break around Whitsun. Hesse's summer holiday runs six straight weeks in 2027 (28 June to 6 August), a normal length rather than a replacement for the missing breaks. If you've moved from a state with a Whitsun break, don't expect one to appear on Frankfurt's calendar, plan around the fixed holiday blocks and the moveable days instead.
What are the 4 bewegliche Ferientage, and are they the same across all of Hesse?
Not always, and it's worth checking for your specific school rather than assuming a statewide default. Each of Hesse's Staatliche Schulämter chooses its own 4 moveable holiday days within its own district. Frankfurt's own Schulamtsbezirk picked Friday 5 February and Monday 8 February 2027 (Rosenmontag) as one pair, and Friday 7 May and Friday 28 May 2027 (the days after Ascension and Corpus Christi respectively) as the other two, for the 2026/2027 school year. Many districts choose similar dates (most take Rosenmontag and Faschingsdienstag, Frankfurt takes the Friday before plus Rosenmontag), but several differ more (for 2026/2027, Kassel, Wiesbaden, Weilburg, Bebra, Fritzlar and Marburg do, for example), so check your own district's list rather than assuming. The number of moveable days itself changes by school year: 4 in 2026/2027, 3 in 2027/2028.
Is Frankfurt's Rosenmontag school closure connected to a citywide Fasching celebration?
It's a regional pattern rather than a single Frankfurt-wide event. Most Hesse districts use moveable days on Rosenmontag and often Faschingsdienstag, and Frankfurt picked the Friday before the carnival weekend plus Rosenmontag. Rosenmontag isn't a statutory public holiday in Hesse, which is why it needs a moveable day.
Does an existing afterschool care place automatically cover the school holidays?
Largely, but not on every day. The city's official page says ESB (Erweiterte Schulische Betreuung), which you register for through kindernetfrankfurt.de, includes all-day holiday programmes, and Pakt für den Ganztag schools offer care up to 17:00 including holiday care. Both can still close on a limited number of days: the city's page still says ESB closes at most 25 days a year, but the Magistrate states that from 1 August 2026 the closing days are cut to 20 a year (25 for ESB and 27 for Hort applied before). Ask your child's site which days it is closed and whether holiday weeks need a separate sign-up.
What does holiday childcare actually cost in Frankfurt?
It depends on your child's grade. Families with children in grades 1 and 2 pay an income-based Elternentgelt, for which a subsidy can be requested at the relevant Sozialrathaus, plus lunch costs. Families with children in grades 3 and 4 pay only for lunch and holiday care itself, no income-based Elternentgelt applies at that stage. Lunch is subsidised by the city and costs at most 3 euros per child, and reductions are available through the Sozialrathaus or Jobcenter Frankfurt for families eligible for Bildungs- und Teilhabepaket benefits or holding a Frankfurt-Pass.