Falling on a Saturday this year, most regular employees wont get a day off work for the Day of German Reunification, but shoppers be warned, most grocery stores will be closed.
October 3rd is a national public holiday in Germany.
It’s called the “Day of German reunification”, or Tag der deutschen Einheit in German, and it marks the anniversary of the official reunification of former East and West Germany after the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of the Cold War.
This year marks 37 years since reunification. Across the country’s 16 states the occasion is to be marked with public celebrations.
Falling on a Saturday this year, most regularly employed workers are missing out on having the day off work.
But the holiday will see grocery stores closed, as well as other shops and businesses. So you’d be advised to stock up on essentials on Friday.
Why is Unity Day on October 3rd?
While November 9th, 1989 marks the day the Berlin Wall fell, East and West Germany continued to exist as separate states for almost a year afterward, with East Germany having organised its first and only democratic election during that time.
From then on, East and West Germany both pursued a policy of reunification — and set about negotiating a reunification treaty.
East and West Germany officially became one country again on October 3rd, 1990.
How is October 3rd celebrated?
For many people in Germany, Unity Day typically marks a chance for a well-deserved day off. But with the holiday falling on a weekend this year that benefit is effectively lost for most workers.
Many cities around Germany will mark Unity Day with their own celebrations. There is, however, one big official festival that rotates host cities every year.
In 2026 the host city is Bremen, where from Friday to Sunday the Free Hanseatic city in the north will host festivities at venues set up throughout its city centre.
READ ALSO: 10 things you never knew about German reunification
People celebrating German reunification sing during official celebrations in Halle on October 3rd, 2021. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Jan Woitas
What’s open and closed on Saturday?
As with any public holiday, you can treat Saturday this week as you would a typical Sunday in Germany.
That means that supermarkets and shops, in particular, will be closed — excepting the few which are open on Sundays (like some of those located in train stations or airports).
It’s worth noting that shops will also be closed on Sunday as usual, so you’ll want to make sure your pantry is well-stocked with all the foodstuff you need for the weekend on Friday.
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Restaurants will generally be open, as will many museums and other tourist attractions that typically remain open over the weekend. Bear in mind though that attractions that are open on Saturday may be operating on their Sunday hours and not their regular ones. It’s best to check the hours before going.
What about public transport?
Public transport, including nationwide train services — do run on October 3rd. Again though, many services will be operated on a Sunday / holiday schedule.
This means some services will be reduced.
Doctors, pharmacies and hospitals
Doctors’ offices and pharmacies are usually closed on public holidays, such as Unity Day.
If you need non-emergency medical assistance, you can contact the on-call health line at 116 117 (or using this website) where professionals can advise you if you have urgent questions about your health.
In an emergency, call 112 for the fire brigade or ambulance or 110 for the police.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
