Uttar Pradesh Schools to Remain Open on December 25, Christmas Holiday Cancelled for Vajpayee Centenary

Lucknow: Schools across Uttar Pradesh will not observe a holiday on December 25 this year, the state Education Department announced on Monday. The directive comes as the state gears up to mark the birth centenary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Schools have been instructed to hold special remembrance programmes on the day, including speech competitions and cultural activities, with student attendance mandatory.

Until last year, December 25 was observed as a school holiday for Christmas in the state. The central government has designated the date as ‘Good Governance Day’ in honour of Vajpayee, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to prioritise centenary celebrations in educational institutions. This aligns with a series of initiatives by BJP-led state governments, which in recent years have focused on marking national leaders’ birthdays through official events, sometimes altering or replacing existing religious or cultural holidays.

States including Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh continue to observe Christmas with one or more days of school holidays, highlighting a regional variation in how the festival is officially recognised.

Observers note that while the centenary celebrations for a national leader are significant, the decision to replace a longstanding Christmas holiday underscores the symbolic weight of official holidays in shaping public culture. For minority communities, official recognition of festivals plays an important role in fostering inclusion and cultural representation. Removing or repurposing such observances can be perceived as sidelining these identities.

Critics argue that the move is indicative of a broader trend in parts of India where religious and cultural practices of minorities are increasingly scrutinised or deprioritised in public institutions. In the current political discourse, festivals such as Christmas are sometimes framed as being linked to conversion or foreign influence, raising concerns about the marginalisation of minority traditions.

"This decision reflects a shift in how official calendars are used to project identity,' said a social analyst familiar with state education policies. "While commemorating leaders is important, sidelining religious holidays risks conveying a message of exclusion rather than shared national belonging.'

In a diverse and constitutionally secular country like India, the balance between celebrating national figures and respecting cultural plurality is delicate. As Uttar Pradesh schools prepare to mark Vajpayee’s centenary, the conversation over public holidays and cultural recognition continues, highlighting the intersection of politics, identity, and education.