Dublin time

Mid-Term Ireland

School holidays and bank holidays in Ireland

Christmas school holidays in Ireland 2026, 2027 and 2028

Christmas holidays, every published school year
School yearAll schools
2026/27

Last day of termSchools re-open

2027/28

Last day of termSchools re-open

2028/29

Last day of termSchools re-open

2025/26past

Last day of termSchools re-open

The circular prints the last day of term and the re-opening day, not a first closed day: why the table shows two dates and nothing between them.

School dates here follow the Department of Education and Youth's circulars for the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland schools follow a different calendar from their own Department of Education, which this site does not cover.

Christmas holidays 2026/27: 48 days until the last day of term, on Tuesday 22 December 2026.

Counted in Dublin time on Wednesday 4 November 2026.

At a glance

Between the school datesCalculated
ten weekdays between the last day of term on Tuesday 22 December 2026 and re-opening on Wednesday 6 January 2027, excluding both dates (fourteen days in total)
Public holidays withinCalculated
Included public holidays: Christmas Day (Friday 25 December 2026), St Stephen's Day (Saturday 26 December 2026) and New Year's Day (Friday 1 January 2027)
Term ends compared with 2025/26Calculated
three days later in the calendar than in 2025/26, when the date was Friday 19 December 2025
Length compared with 2025/26Calculated
The same number of weekdays as in 2025/26
Working days needing childcareCalculated
eight weekdays to cover if you work Monday to Friday, after excluding the public holidays on weekdays of this break: Christmas Day (Friday 25 December 2026) and New Year's Day (Friday 1 January 2027)

Figures marked Calculated are worked out from the dates in the circular or the Commission's list, or from dates established by the Act and the regulations. The sources do not give these figures directly.

Add all school breaks for 2026/27 to your calendar The file contains every standardised break for 2026/27, each with its source, and no other entries.

Primary and post-primary schools have the same Christmas dates. The table shows the last day of term, when schools are still open, and the day they re-open after Christmas. The circular does not give a first closed day.

Year by year, in the circular's words

Christmas holidays 2026/27

All schools will close on Tuesday 22 December 2026, which will be the final day of the school term.

All schools will re-open on Wednesday 6 January 2027.

Public holidays between the last day of term and the re-opening day: Christmas Day, ; St Stephen's Day, ; New Year's Day, (worked out from the rule in the Act).

All standardised breaks of 2026/27

Christmas holidays 2027/28

All schools will close on Wednesday 22 December 2027, which will be the final day of the school term.

All schools will re-open on Thursday 6 January 2028.

Public holidays between the last day of term and the re-opening day: Christmas Day, (worked out from the rule in the Act); St Stephen's Day, (worked out from the rule in the Act); New Year's Day, (worked out from the rule in the Act).

All standardised breaks of 2027/28

Christmas holidays 2028/29

All schools will close on Friday 22 December 2028, which will be the final day of the school term.

All schools will re-open on Monday 8 January 2029.

All standardised breaks of 2028/29

Christmas holidays 2025/26

All schools will close on Friday 19th December 2025, which will be the final day of the school term.

All schools will re-open on Monday 5th January 2026.

All standardised breaks of 2025/26

Questions parents ask

When do schools close for Christmas?

Schools close on Tuesday 22 December 2026, the final day of term, and re-open on Wednesday 6 January 2027. The circular gives the same dates for primary and post-primary schools.

Are Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day public holidays?

Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, and St Stephen's Day, Saturday 26 December 2026, are public holidays. The Act names both holidays independently of the school Christmas arrangements.

Can a school finish earlier or return later for Christmas?

Schools cannot use discretionary days to extend the Christmas break, except where the circular allows this for religious observance. The last day of term is Tuesday 22 December 2026, and schools re-open on Wednesday 6 January 2027.

Official documents

Every date on this page was checked against these documents on . If anything here differs from the circular or the Act, the official text applies. How the dates are checked.