Himmelfahrt

Himmelfahrt, also Christi Himmelfahrt, is the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ in Christian liturgy. It commemorates the ascent of Jesus into heaven, traditionally understood to occur forty days after Easter. The event is described in the New Testament, notably in the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, and it marks the conclusion of the Easter season and the preparation for Pentecost.

Date and observance: Himmelfahrt is celebrated on Ascension Thursday, which falls 39 days after Easter Sunday and moves with the date of Easter each year. In many German-speaking countries, it is a public holiday, giving rise to a long weekend. The day is observed with church services, hymns, and sometimes processions.

Cultural context: In Germany and parts of Austria and Switzerland, the holiday is also associated with secular customs. In Germany the holiday is commonly linked to Father’s Day (Vatertag or Männertag), a tradition in which groups—often men—take excursions, sometimes involving wagons and communal feasting. Local customs vary by region and denomination, with Catholic and Protestant communities both observing the feast in liturgy.

Geographic scope: Himmelfahrt is recognized as a liturgical feast across many Christian denominations and is a statutory holiday in several European countries, particularly in German-speaking regions such as Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. It is generally termed Christi Himmelfahrt in German, Auffahrt in Swiss German, and Ascension Day in English-speaking contexts.