NYC Schools Close for Thanksgiving Break on Nov. 27-28

New York City public and Catholic schools will be closed on Thursday, November 27, and Friday, November 28, for the Thanksgiving holiday. This closure provides students and staff with an extended weekend, beginning with the last day of classes on Wednesday, November 26.

Thanksgiving Day, observed on November 27, is followed by Black Friday on November 28, during which schools will remain shuttered. Students will return to their classrooms on Monday, December 1. As the semester progresses, the next significant break will be the winter recess, starting on Christmas Eve, December 24, with classes resuming on Monday, January 5.

The public school academic calendar offers a variety of holidays throughout the year, amounting to around two dozen days off. These include observances for religious holidays such as Good Friday, Yom Kippur, and Eid al-Fitr, as well as seasonal breaks for winter, mid-winter, and spring recesses, which accommodate Christmas and Passover celebrations. Recently, Diwali has also been recognized as an official holiday within the public school system.

Holiday Schedule and Important Dates

In addition to Thanksgiving, the school calendar marks several other significant holidays. This includes Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Election Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, and Juneteenth.

The Archdiocese of New York, which oversees Catholic schools, has aligned its academic calendar with similar observances for religious and federal holidays. Parents can access important dates for both public and Catholic school systems for the 2025-2026 academic year through the respective official websites.

As students anticipate their time off, many families take this opportunity to engage in holiday traditions, travel, or simply enjoy a much-needed break from academic responsibilities. The closure serves not only as a respite from school but also as a time for families to come together and celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.