Yesterday in Germany was Himmelfahrt (the day of the Ascension), and a national holiday, where all businesses, universities, and schools closed for the day.  For the average American, the concept of having a national holiday on Thursday that's anything other than Thanksgiving is a bit weird, as many of our holidays are intentionally set to Mondays (Presidents Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Labor Day).  Having these holidays fall on Mondays means an automatic three day weekend, and (probably) helps to ensure that the work week is relatively uninterrupted by people taking extra mid-week days.  Instead of working the one day between the holiday and the weekend, in Germany, many people take a Brückentag.

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