December School Holiday List 2025: Christmas, Winter Break Dates

As December draws near, schools throughout the country are gearing up for a more relaxed academic schedule, featuring seasonal winter breaks and festival-related holidays. Many state education departments have issued notifications confirming extended holidays toward the end of the year.

This year’s calendar brings a longer winter vacation for many students due to two major factors:

1. Harsh Winter Weather:

In northern and hilly states such as Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, the drop in temperature during peak winter months makes daily commuting difficult for students. This has resulted in extended closures to ensure their safety and comfort.

2. Festive Celebrations:

With Christmas and New Year arriving one after the other, several states aim to provide families enough time to celebrate the festive season together without academic interruption.

Key December Holiday Observations

December 24 – Christmas Eve:
Marked as a restricted holiday in many schools.

December 25 – Christmas Day:
A compulsory nationwide holiday, also marking the start of winter vacations in several regions.

December 31 – New Year’s Eve:
Many schools remain closed, followed by January 1 as a New Year holiday.

These holidays combine to give students a longer year-end break and a refreshing start to the new school term.

State-Wise Winter Break Announcements

Uttar Pradesh:
All government and private schools will observe winter holidays from December 20 to December 31, 2025. Classes will resume on January 1, 2026.

PM Shri Schools:
A shorter break has been planned from December 23, 2025 to January 1, 2026.

Jammu & Kashmir (Winter Zone):
Due to severe weather, schools follow a staggered schedule:

• Pre-primary (Balvatika): November 26, 2025 – February 28, 2026
• Classes 1 to 8: Holidays begin December 1
• Classes 9 to 12: Break starts December 11

Holiday patterns may differ slightly across districts and institutions, but overall, most states are continuing the practice of merging the Christmas vacation with the winter break, providing a welcome pause for students before the new year begins.

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