The Cornell holiday calendar serves as your essential planning tool for the 2025-2026 academic year. Students, faculty, and staff rely on this comprehensive Cornell University holiday calendar to organize coursework, travel plans, and work coverage around official holidays and academic breaks.
This guide covers both Cornell staff holidays and employee holidays alongside academic break periods for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.
The Cornell holiday schedule includes paid holidays like Labor Day and Thanksgiving Day, plus no-class days during Fall Break and Spring Break.
Table of Contents
Labor Day
Labor Day serves as both a staff holiday and a no-class day, creating perfect alignment between the Staff Holiday Calendar and Academic Holiday Observances.
The Cornell holiday calendar shows this federal holiday falling on Monday, September 1, 2025, with No Classes scheduled across all Cornell programs.
This paid holiday allows staff to enjoy time off while students settle into their Fall semester routines.
Cornell’s Labor Day celebration often includes community events and student organization activities that help build campus connections.
This Cornell holiday schedule ensures that essential services remain available while allowing maximum participation in these traditional end-of-summer activities.
Cornell Fall Break 2025
Fall Break represents a crucial mid-semester pause in the Cornell academic break calendar, providing students and faculty with four consecutive no-class days from Saturday, October 11, 2025, through Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
The Cornell University fall break dates strategically position this break after midterm examinations, allowing students to recharge before the final push toward semester end.
Instruction Resumes on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, ensuring minimal disruption to the Cornell Academic Calendar 2025-2026 flow.
This holiday period coincides with peak fall foliage season in Ithaca, making it an ideal time for students to explore the region or return home for family visits.
Campus services operate on modified holiday hours during this period, with most administrative offices remaining open while dining and library services adjust their schedules.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Indigenous Peoples’ Day falls on Monday, October 13, 2025, and is observed as part of the Fall Break period with No Classes scheduled throughout Cornell University.
This holiday recognition demonstrates the university’s commitment to acknowledging the history and contributions of Indigenous communities.
This holiday specifically notes this observance within the larger Fall Break framework, ensuring both educational recognition and practical scheduling clarity.
The positioning of Indigenous Peoples’ Day within the fall break dates creates opportunities for meaningful educational programming and reflection without disrupting regular class schedules.
Cornell Thanksgiving Break 2025
Cornell Thanksgiving Break 2025 extends for five consecutive days from Wednesday, November 26, 2025, through Sunday, November 30, 2025, creating one of the longest academic breaks during the Fall semester.
The Thanksgiving holiday calendar shows No Classes for this entire period, with Instruction Resuming on Monday, December 1, 2025.
This extended break allows students sufficient time for travel and family gatherings while providing faculty with a meaningful pause before final exam preparations.
The no-class days during Thanksgiving Break align strategically with both the federal Thanksgiving Day holiday and Cornell staff holidays, ensuring consistent campus operations during this period.
Most administrative offices observe closures on Thursday and Friday, November 27-28, 2025, while academic activities remain suspended throughout the five days.
Campus dining services typically close or operate on severely reduced holiday hours, encouraging students to make appropriate travel arrangements.
Cornell Winter Break 2025
Winter Break 2025 represents the longest period in the winter break dates calendar, spanning 30 days from Sunday, December 21, 2025, through Monday, January 19, 2026.
This extended academic break accommodates Christmas holiday celebrations, the Martin Luther King Jnr Holiday on Monday, January 19, 2026, and the transition between the Fall and Spring semesters.
This holiday calendar shows the Spring semester beginning on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, providing students and faculty with substantial time for rest, travel, and preparation for the new semester.
The Winter Break period encompasses both Christmas and New Year’s Day, creating consistent campus-wide closures during the most significant holiday period of the year.
Cornell employee holidays from December 25, 2025, through January 1, 2026, align with reduced campus services and holiday closures of most administrative functions.
Students can take advantage of Winter Session programming during early January, allowing accelerated coursework or prerequisite completion within the extended winter break dates.
Cornell February Break 2026
February Break provides a strategic mid-semester pause with four no-class days from Saturday, February 14, 2026, through Tuesday, February 17, 2026, with Instruction Resuming on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The four-day duration of February Break allows students to travel home briefly or engage in local activities without the complexity of longer travel arrangements.
Campus services maintain regular operations during most of February Break, with dining and library services continuing normal schedules except for the Valentine’s Day weekend.
Cornell Spring Break 2026
Cornell Spring Break spans nine consecutive days from Saturday, March 28, 2026, through Saturday, April 5, 2026, making it the longest mid-semester break in the Cornell University holiday calendar.
Instruction Resumes on Monday, April 6, 2026, providing students with substantial time for travel, internships, alternative break programs, or rest.
The Cornell holiday calendar positions this break strategically after midterm examinations and before the final intensive weeks of the Spring semester.
Campus operations reduce significantly during Spring Break, with most administrative offices maintaining minimal staffing and Cornell holiday hours for essential services only.
Spring Break timing coincides with traditional collegiate spring break periods, allowing Cornell students to coordinate activities with peers from other institutions.
Many students use Spring Break for internship interviews, graduate school visits, or intensive study abroad preparation, making this one of the most versatile Cornell holidays in the academic calendar.
Cornell University Spring Break 2026 timing may overlap with Cesar Chavez Holiday observances in other calendar systems, but the Cornell holiday calendar lists Spring Break as a distinct period focused on academic scheduling rather than specific holiday recognition.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth observance on Friday, June 19, 2026, represents a significant addition to the Cornell holiday calendar, reflecting both federal recognition and Cornell’s commitment to acknowledging important American historical milestones.
The Juneteenth holiday applies to both the Staff Holiday Calendar and Academic Holiday Observances, ensuring consistent university-wide recognition.
This Holiday/No Classes designation affects end-of-semester activities, summer session planning, and commencement scheduling.
Campus programming often includes educational events, cultural celebrations, and community service opportunities that help the Cornell community engage meaningfully with the historical and contemporary significance of this observance.
Juneteenth’s position in the Cornell holiday schedule affects summer planning for students, faculty, and staff. Summer session dates, research program starts, and internship timing may all adjust around this new holiday recognition.
The observance also impacts commencement planning and end-of-academic-year activities, requiring careful coordination with other institutional commitments and external partnership obligations.
Cornell Staff Holidays 2025-2026
The Cornell holiday calendar operates on two distinct schedules that sometimes overlap but serve different purposes.
The Cornell HR holiday calendar publishes staff holiday dates, while the Registrar’s Office maintains the academic calendar with no-class days and semester breaks.
Cornell staff holidays include paid holidays for eligible employees on specific dates like Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and the Winter Break period.
These employee holidays follow federal holiday patterns but include Cornell-specific observances.
The staff holidays schedule also accounts for observed holidays when actual holidays fall on weekends.
- Labor Day: Monday, September 1, 2025.
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 27 – Friday, November 28, 2025.
- Winter Break: Thursday, December 25, 2025 – Thursday, January 1, 2026.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 19, 2026.
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25, 2026.
- Juneteenth: Friday, June 19, 2026.
- Independence Day: July 4, 2026, falls on Saturday; typically observed on the preceding Friday (July 3, 2026).
Visit the Cornell Staff Holiday Calendar website for more on the Cornell Employee Holidays Schedule.
Cornell Holiday Calendar FAQ
What is the Cornell Holiday Calendar, and where can I find it?
The Cornell Holiday Calendar is the official schedule listing staff paid holidays and academic no-class days for the university.
Access staff holiday information through the Cornell HR portal, which provides the complete Cornell staff holidays list with downloadable PDFs and calendar subscriptions.
For academic break dates including Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 schedules, visit the Cornell University Registrar website, where you can download the Cornell holiday calendar PDF or subscribe to automatic calendar feeds.
What are the Fall 2025 academic break dates in the Cornell Holiday Calendar?
Fall 2025 academic breaks include Labor Day (September 1, 2025) with no classes, Fall Break from October 11-14, 2025 (including Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 13), and Thanksgiving Break from November 26-30, 2025.
Instruction resumes October 15 after Fall Break and December 1 after Thanksgiving Break.
How long is Winter Break, and when does instruction resume?
The academic Winter Break runs from Sunday, December 21, 2025, through Monday, January 19, 2026 – a total of 30 days.
Cornell staff observe a shorter Winter Break from December 25, 2025, through January 1, 2026, covering Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Spring semester instruction resumes Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Students can participate in Winter Session courses during early January.
When are Spring 2026 breaks and Juneteenth observance?
Spring 2026 includes February Break from February 14-17 (instruction resumes February 18), Spring Break from March 28 through April 5 (instruction resumes April 6), and Juneteenth observance on Friday, June 19, 2026.
February Break provides 4 days off, while Spring Break offers 9 days for travel or rest. Juneteenth is observed as both a staff holiday and a no-class day.
Are there exceptions or additional holidays (e.g., Veterans Day)?
Veterans Day (November 11, 2025) is not a no-class day at Cornell – regular instruction continues despite federal holiday status.
Some specialized units like Weill Cornell, the Medical College, or graduate programs may observe additional local holidays or have modified schedules.
Always verify with your specific department or school in addition to consulting the central Cornell holiday calendar.
Department-specific variations should be confirmed through local administrative offices alongside the official university calendar.
