School Holiday List in India: In India, the academic calendar is punctuated with various holidays that students eagerly anticipate throughout the year. These breaks not only offer respite from rigorous academic schedules but also provide opportunities for cultural and religious celebrations. Understanding the significance of these holidays and planning for them in advance is essential for both students and educators alike. For the academic year 2024-25, schools across India will observe a diverse array of holidays, ranging from national celebrations to regional festivals. This comprehensive guide presents a consolidated list of school holidays for the academic year 2024-25, categorized by month, ensuring that students and educators can plan and relish each break effectively.
| Month | Date | Occasion | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | January 1 | New Year’s Day | Start of the new year |
| January | January 14 | Lohri | Harvest festival celebrated in North India |
| January | January 15 | Makar Sankranti/Pongal/Magha Bihu | Harvest festival celebrated across India |
| January | January 17 | Guru Govind Singh Jayanti | Birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh |
| January | January 25 | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday | Birth anniversary of Hazrat Ali |
| January | January 26 | Republic Day | Celebrates the adoption of the Indian Constitution |
| February | February 14 | Vasant Panchami / Saraswati Puja | Celebration of Goddess Saraswati |
| February | February 19 | Shivaji Jayanti | Birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj |
| February | February 24 | Guru Ravidas Jayanti | Birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas |
| March | March 5 | Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti | Birth anniversary of Swami Dayananda Saraswati |
| March | March 8 | Maha Shivaratri/Shivaratri | Festival dedicated to Lord Shiva |
| March | March 25 | Holi | Festival of colors and love |
| March | March 28 | Maundy Thursday | Observance of the Last Supper |
| March | March 29 | Good Friday | Commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ |
| March | March 31 | Easter | Resurrection of Jesus Christ |
| April | April 9 | Chaitra Sukhladi / Ugadi / Gudi Padwa | Hindu New Year celebrated in various regions |
| April | April 11 | Eid-ul-Fitr (Tentative) | Islamic festival marking the end of Ramadan |
| April | April 13 | Vaisakhi | Sikh New Year and harvest festival |
| April | April 14 | Ambedkar Jayanti | Birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar |
| April | April 17 | Rama Navami | Birth anniversary of Lord Rama |
| April | April 21 | Mahavir Jayanti | Birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir |
| May | May 8 | Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti | Birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore |
| May | May 13 | Buddha Purnima | Celebration of Gautama Buddha's birth, enlightenment |
| June | June 17 | Bakrid/Eid Al Adha | Islamic festival commemorating the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son |
| July | July 17 | Muharram | Islamic New Year and remembrance of Imam Hussain's martyrdom |
| August | August 15 | Independence Day/ Parsi New Year | Commemoration of India's independence and Parsi New Year |
| August | August 19 | Raksha Bandhan/ Jhulan Purnima | Celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters |
| August | August 26 | Janmashtami | Birth anniversary of Lord Krishna |
| September | September 7 | Ganesh Chaturthi | Celebration of Lord Ganesha's birth |
| September | September 5 | First Onam | Harvest festival celebrated in Kerala |
| September | September 15 | Thiruvonam | Culminating day of Onam festival |
| September | September 16 | Eid e Milad | Commemorates the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad |
| October | October 2 | Gandhi Jayanti, Mahalaya Amavasya | Birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and beginning of Durga Puja |
| October | October 10 | Maha Saptami | Seventh day of Durga Puja celebration |
| October | October 11 | Maha Ashtami | Eighth day of Durga Puja celebration |
| October | October 12 | Maha Navami | Ninth day of Durga Puja celebration |
| October | October 13 | Vijaya Dashami | Tenth day of Durga Puja celebration |
| October | October 17 | Valmiki Jayanti, Lakshmi Puja (Bengali) | Birth anniversary of Valmiki and worship of Goddess Lakshmi |
| October | October 31 | Diwali | Festival of lights and prosperity |
| November | November 1 | Diwali | Festival of lights celebrated by Hindus |
| November | November 3 | Bhai Duj | Celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters |
| November | November 7 | Chhat Puja | Worship of the sun god and nature |
| November | November 15 | Guru Nanak Jayanti | Birth anniversary of Guru Nanak |
| November | November 30 | Karthik Purnima | Celebration of the full moon in the month of Karthik |
| December | December 6 | Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji’s Martyrdom Day | Commemoration of the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur |
| December | December 24 | Christmas Eve | Evening before Christmas |
| December | December 25 | Christmas | Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ |
| December | December 31 | New Year’s Eve | Last day of the year, preceding New Year's Day |
The official public holidays in India are called gazetted holidays, and they are announced by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions in the official gazette of the Indian government. Government offices and institutions are required to observe these government-recognized holidays. In 2024, there are 17 gazetted holidays:
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 26 | Friday | Republic Day |
| March 25 | Monday | Holi |
| March 29 | Friday | Good Friday |
| April 9 or 10 | Tue/Wed | Eid-ul-Fitr |
| April 17 | Wednesday | Ram Navami |
| April 21 | Sunday | Mahavir Jayanti |
| May 23 | Thursday | Buddha Purnima |
| June 16 or 17 | Sun/Mon | Eid-ul-Adha |
| July 17 | Wednesday | Muharram |
| August 15 | Thursday | Independence Day |
| August 26 | Monday | Janmashtami |
| September 15 or 16 | Sun/Mon | Id-E-Milad |
| October 02 | Wednesday | Gandhi Jayanti |
| October 12 | Saturday | Dussehra |
| October 31 | Thursday | Diwali |
| November 11 | Friday | Guru Nanak Jayanti |
| December 25 | Wednesday | Christmas |
Restricted holidays, also known as Optional Holidays, are additional holidays apart from gazetted holidays.
| Date | Day | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 15 | Monday | Makar Sankranti |
| Jan 15 to Jan 18 | Mon to Thu | Pongal |
| February 14 | Wednesday | Sri Panchami/Vasant Panchami |
| March 8 | Friday | Maha Shivaratri |
| March 20 | Wednesday | Nowruz |
| March 25 | Monday | Holi |
| April 9 | Tuesday | Ugadi/Chaitra Sukladi/Cheti Chand/Gudi Padwa |
| April 13 | Saturday | Vaishakhi/Vaisakhadi |
| April 14 | Sunday | Vishu/Bohag Bihu/Mesadi |
| April 17 | Wednesday | Ram Navami |
| July 8 | Monday | Rath Yatra |
| August 26 | Monday | Janmashtami |
| September 09 | Saturday | Ganesh Chaturthi/Vinayaka Chaturthi |
| Sep 5 to Sep 17 | Thu to Tue | Onam |
| October 3 to Oct 12 | Thu to Sat | Shardiya Navratri |
| October 12 | Saturday | Dussehra |
| October 20 or 21 | Sun or Mon | Karwa Chauth |
| Nov 7 to Nov 11 | Thu to Sun | Chhath Puja |