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December 2025 School Winter Vacations: Christmas, New Year and beyond; state-wise list of holidays

School Winter Vacations December 2025: For many students, the winter-vacation and holiday period coincides with final stages of exam preparation ahead of the next academic cycle. Here’s a state-wise list of school winter vacations in India.

5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Dec 25, 2025 09:33 AM IST

The winter-vacation and holiday period coincides with the onset of the next academic cycle, with important board and entrance exams lined up (Representative/AI Generated image)

School Winter Vacations in December 2025: Winter has arrived across several parts of the country, prompting schools in many states to announce their year-end and Christmas holidays according to their academic calendars. With Christmas being widely observed and the New Year approaching, educational institutions have scheduled short breaks during late December and early January, varying by state and school board.

The winter break also coincides with the upcoming exam season, as JEE Main and other national-level entrance examinations are scheduled in the coming month, along with board examinations for students of central and state boards. For many students, the holiday period coincides with the final stages of exam preparation ahead of the next academic cycle.

Here’s a state-wise list of school winter vacations in India:

Winter vacations in Delhi NCT

Delhi schools are expected to observe winter vacation from the week of December 23 to January 1, 2026, with possible extensions depending on weather and air quality conditions. This period includes the Christmas and New Year break before regular academic schedules resume in early January.

Winter vacations in Punjab

In Punjab, winter vacation is slated to begin around December 22–24, 2025, and continue into early January (up to around January 10, 2026), offering students a substantial festive and winter break over Christmas and the New Year period.

Winter vacations in Uttar Pradesh

Schools across Uttar Pradesh will typically close for winter holidays from around December 20 through December 31, 2025, with reopening scheduled at the start of January 2026, aligning with cool weather and year-end festivities.

Winter vacations in Haryana

Winter vacation in Haryana is expected to occur primarily from January 1 to January 15, 2026, after the Christmas and New Year period, giving students a mid-January break that ties into the broader winter academic calendar.

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Winter vacations in Jammu & Kashmir

In Jammu and Kashmir, extreme cold has led to extended closures: Classes 1–8 were slated to be off from December 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, while Classes 9–12 were scheduled remain closed from around December 11, 2025 until February 22, 2026, reflecting the prolonged winter conditions in the region.

Winter vacations in Andhra Pradesh

As per the Primary Academic Calendar 2025–26, missionary schools in Andhra Pradesh will observe a Christmas vacation from December 23 to December 27, 2025, spanning five days. The break coincides with Christmas celebrations and provides students with a short academic pause before schools resume regular classes as per the prescribed calendar.

Winter vacations in Telangana

According to an SCERT notice and the academic wall calendar for 2025–26, missionary schools in Telangana will remain closed for Christmas vacation from December 23 to December 27, 2025, for a total of five days. The holiday period is aligned with festive observances before the academic schedule continues.

Winter vacations in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has announced a 12-day half-yearly holiday for schools starting December 24, as reported officially. The extended break covers the Christmas period and stretches into early January, offering students a longer winter recess before academic activities resume in line with the state education department’s schedule.

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Winter vacations in Kerala

Kerala schools will observe holidays on December 24 and December 25 on account of Christmas. In addition, a separate winter break will be observed from January 1, 2026 to January 15, 2026, with schools reopening on Friday, January 16, as outlined in the official school calendar.

Winter vacations in Karnataka

While a consolidated government order is not available, multiple school schedules indicate that winter vacation in Karnataka begins on December 23, 2025 and continues until January 1, 2026. Some schools, however, observe an alternative break from December 25 to January 4, 2026, depending on institutional calendars.

Winter vacations in Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, Christmas Day (December 25, 2025) is the confirmed statewide school holiday. Additional winter vacation days vary by school and board, with many private and minority schools planning breaks around Christmas and the New Year, though no uniform statewide winter vacation is officially declared.

Winter vacations in Bihar

Bihar’s winter vacation is expected to begin around December 25, running often through December 31, 2025, with schools likely reopening in early January. Notably, last year saw a few extensions in certain regions of Bihar due to the prevalent cold waves.

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However, no specific winter vacation announcement has been issued so far by the education departments of West Bengal, Assam and several North-Eastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya. In the absence of a consolidated notification, schools in these states are expected to continue with their regular academic calendars or continue with individual school-level schedules followed in line with regional norms and practices.