All Saints Day: Shopping in NRW? These federal states invite you!

All Saints Day: Shopping in NRW? These federal states invite you!

On November 1, 2025, we celebrate All Saints' Day, a holiday that is important in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). While many Cologne residents spend time with their loved ones on this day or simply unwind, there is also the opportunity to travel to neighboring federal states and combine the holiday with extensive shopping. A look across the border to Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein or Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania shows that November 1st is not a public holiday there and that the shops remain open for bargain hunters. Anyone who wants to go on a shopping trip can go to the nearby cities and take advantage of the great offers that these federal states have in their repertoire. This is particularly practical as the journey between the federal states is only a few minutes away.

All Saints Day commemorates those who have led holy lives. But this holiday does not have the same weight in all German federal states. Citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia enjoy this holiday, while in nine other federal states the focus is on Reformation Day on October 31st. Reformation Day, which commemorates Martin Luther's posting of his theses on the castle church in Wittenberg in 1517, was only introduced as an official holiday in some northern German countries in 2018. This was done to address holiday differences between northern and southern Germany, as the latter enjoy more holidays, including All Saints' Day and the Assumption of Mary.

Reformation Day and All Saints Day

In eight federal states, including Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg and Lower Saxony, October 31st is officially celebrated, while in other regions, such as Hesse and Berlin, All Saints' Day or Reformation Day are not public holidays at all. For example, Berlin introduced a new holiday, International Women's Day, in 2019 to add something new to religious holidays and expand the number of holidays.

• Der Reformationstag wird in folgenden Bundesländern gefeiert:
• Brandenburg
• Bremen
• Hamburg
• Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• Niedersachsen
• Sachsen
• Sachsen-Anhalt
• Schleswig-Holstein
• Thüringen
• Am 1. November ist in diesen Bundesländern kein Feiertag:
• Baden-Württemberg
• Bayern
• Berlin
• Hessen
• Nordrhein-Westfalen
• Rheinland-Pfalz
• Saarland

The public holidays in Germany are a state matter and are often discussed as an economic factor. Too many additional public holidays could be seen as an interference with economic performance, which is why regional policy also plays a major role in this area. The religious origins of Reformation Day are important for many Protestant Christians and are a reminder of social changes and the renewal of faith.

So the people of Cologne can look forward to a wonderful All Saints Day, while they may also treat themselves to the day after Reformation Day in the neighboring federal states to fully enjoy the benefits of the holiday. A bit of socializing, some shopping and the opportunity to spend the day harmoniously – that sounds like a successful holiday program!