December 2025 is shaping up to be a rather unpredictable month for school-going children across India. While regular winter vacations and festive breaks already account for many of the closures, this year things have taken an extra twist. In some places, a sharp dip in temperature has triggered cold-wave effects; in coastal regions, a brewing cyclonic storm Cyclone Ditwah has forced authorities to shut schools as a precaution.

In the union territory of Puducherry, for instance, all schools government and private across all its four regions have been ordered closed on December 1 in view of heavy rainfall expected under the influence of Cyclone Ditwah. Meanwhile, in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, a steep drop in temperatures led to the start of winter vacation from December 1 for classes 1 to 8, while for classes 9 to 12, the official break begins later on December 11. 

In some states, the schedule for the winter vacation is already locked in: for example, schools in Uttar Pradesh will observe a 12-day winter holiday starting December 20. Add to this the usual Christmas-Eve closures and festive breaks, and many schools are effectively seeing a prolonged pause, even before considering sporadic weather-related shutdowns. 

Parents and students are now juggling a patchwork of holiday dates some dictated by academic calendars, others forced by weather emergencies. The message is clear: stay alert, keep an ear out for official announcements, and plan accordingly.