In some federal states, Corpus Christi, May 30, 2024, is a public holiday. Normally all supermarkets are closed on such days. We’ll tell you here where you can still shop in some major cities.
When it comes to holidays, Germany is somewhat of a patchwork quilt. In some federal states there are one days off, in others on the other days. During Corpus Christi, in addition to the question of a possible vacation day, there is also the question of whether the supermarkets in the region are open.
Corpus Christi is not a public holiday everywhere. The following federal states have the day off. Corpus Christi is only a public holiday in six predominantly Catholic federal states. In all other states, May 30th is a normal Thursday.
The situation is particularly different in the Catholic south: almost all the shops here are closed. Only a few supermarkets located at train stations or similar locations in large cities are open to customers on this day.
Munich
Frankfurt
Stuttgart
Cologne
Dusseldorf
Mainz
Saarbrücken
Since the Middle Ages, Corpus Christi has been celebrated as the solemnity of Catholic Christians on the second Thursday after Pentecost.
The festival goes back to Jesus’ last supper, where he gave bread and wine to his disciples. On Corpus Christi, the Catholic Church and its followers celebrate that Jesus is still with them with bread and wine. Luther’s rejection of this holiday and the major Reformation movements are the reason why not all federal states celebrate Corpus Christi.