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

New York City public and Catholic schools will be closed on Thursday, November 27, and Friday, November 28, for Thanksgiving recess. This closure provides students and staff with an extended weekend, allowing families to celebrate the holiday together. The last day of classes before the break will be Wednesday, November 26.

Thanksgiving Day, which falls on November 27, is a significant holiday in the United States, followed by Black Friday, a shopping day that marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Students will return to their classrooms on Monday, December 1.

Upcoming School Holidays

Following the Thanksgiving break, students in both public and Catholic schools will not have another holiday until the winter break, which begins on Christmas Eve, December 24. Classes will resume for all students in the new year on Monday, January 5. The public school academic calendar typically includes around two dozen days off throughout the school year, accommodating various religious and federal holidays.

These holidays include significant observances such as Good Friday, Yom Kippur, Eid al-Fitr, and week-long breaks for winter recess, mid-winter recess, and spring recess. Notably, Diwali has also been recently added as a recognized public school holiday. The calendar also designates time off for Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Election Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, and Juneteenth.

Academic Year Information

Parents and guardians can access important dates for the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year for public schools online. Similarly, the Archdiocese of New York provides a calendar for Catholic elementary schools on Staten Island, which also includes designated time off for religious and federal holidays.

This structured approach to the academic calendar allows families to plan around significant dates, ensuring that students can participate in cultural and religious observances throughout the year. As the holiday season approaches, these breaks offer students a well-deserved respite from their studies.