32 Holidays and Planning Vacations

There are a number of holidays and special occasions where McMaster University will be closed, and students, staff, and faculty will have the day off. The list below is a quick reference tool to give you an idea of the holidays you will have off. If you are planning to travel at any point during your program, it must be during a scheduled break (in between semesters, or over the Holiday break in December). More information on scheduled breaks will be provided in the dates and deadlines section of your MBA handbook closer to September.

Holidays and school breaks where McMaster University is closed:

• New Year’s Day (January 1)
• Family Day (third Monday in February)
• Reading Week/Mid-Term Recess (in the middle of the Winter term, classes at Ontario universities take a one-week break. Classes are not in session, but McMaster University remains open)
• Good Friday (timing varies each year; immediately precedes Easter Sunday)
• Victoria Day (the Monday on, or immediately before, May 25)
• Canada Day (July 1)
• Civic Holiday (first Monday in August)
• Labour Day (first Monday in September)
• Thanksgiving (second Monday in October)
• Christmas Eve (December 24 – depending on where this day falls in the week, McMaster may or may not be closed on this day)
• Christmas Day (December 25); McMaster closes until New Year’s Day (January 1). This is considered your Holiday break, where you will have no program requirements and may travel if you wish.

You can view all Ontario holidays for each year here.