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Autumn holidays on islands: Sylt and Amrum start a week earlier!
North Frisia: Different autumn holiday regulations on Sylt, Amrum and Föhr offer students three weeks of free time - details on dates and background.
Autumn holidays on islands: Sylt and Amrum start a week earlier!
Autumn holidays on the North Sea are an exciting topic for many families. On the North Frisian islands of Sylt, Amrum, Föhr and the Halligen, the children have a three-week holiday this autumn, while the other parts of Schleswig-Holstein can only relax for two weeks. Moin.de reports that this regulation has existed since the decision on November 14, 2008. The reason for this peculiarity lies in the special living situation of the islanders.
On Sylt and Co., the summer holidays are traditionally a week shorter. Therefore, students are given more time to relax in the fall to compensate for the stressful summer months. Tourism is the most important economic factor here, and many families make a living directly from the holiday business. Despite small protests and voices calling for alignment with the remaining districts, there have so far been no changes to this regulation. Beate Hinse, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education, also confirms that everything will remain the same.
Holiday dates at a glance
The autumn holidays on the North Frisian Islands start on October 13th and end on October 30th. This means that the students there have a small advantage over their peers on the mainland, where the holidays last from October 20th to 30th. These staggered times are not uncommon, as will be shown during the subsequent Christmas holidays: These begin for everyone on December 19th and end on January 6th, 2026.
The following is on the holiday calendar for Schleswig-Holstein:
- Herbst 2025: Festland: 20.10. bis 30.10., Inseln und Halligen: 13.10. bis 30.10.
- Weihnachten 2025/26: Festland, Inseln und Halligen: 19.12. bis 6.1.
- Frühjahr/Ostern 2026: Festland, Inseln und Halligen: 26.3. bis 10.4.
- Himmelfahrt 2026: Festland, Inseln und Halligen: 15.5.
- Sommer 2026: Festland: 4.7. bis 15.8., Inseln und Halligen: 4.7. bis 8.8.
- Herbst 2026: Festland: 12.10. bis 24.10., Inseln und Halligen: 5.10. bis 24.10.
- Weihnachten 2026/27: Festland, Inseln und Halligen: 21.12. bis 6.1.
In total, the 2024/2025 school year in Schleswig-Holstein includes 75 vacation days, including three flexible vacation days. It is also worth mentioning that Danish schools in Schleswig-Holstein have a little less vacation time due to additional teaching hours. Despite all the discussions about the need for reform, Education Minister Dorit Stenke (CDU) remains with the old regulations and sees no need for action.
It will be interesting to see how the holiday regulations will develop in the future. However, one thing remains clear: the unique conditions on the islands ensure special regulations that are highly valued by both families and tourism businesses.