Nursery and kindergarten schedules during holidays 2026–2027

In short: state kindergartens follow the school-year structure — they close during the holidays (often with on-call groups, on request), including the winter break, 23 December 2026 – 10 January 2027. Nurseries operate year-round and close only in their own period (in Cluj, in August) plus on statutory public holidays — so at Christmas the nurseries stay open, except on the legal days off. Below you’ll find the official dates and what to confirm with your unit.

The 2026–2027 school holidays

The structure is set by Order ME no. 3,194/2026 (Official Gazette no. 126/16.02.2026). Courses start on 7 September 2026 and end on 18 June 2027, in 5 modules. The holidays:

Preschoolers (kindergarten) follow the same structure.

State kindergartens during the holidays

State kindergartens observe the holiday calendar — the regular programme is suspended. However, many kindergartens organise an on-call service (grupe de serviciu) during holidays, on request, for the children of parents who can’t keep them home. On statutory public holidays (e.g. 25–26 December, 1–2 January) the unit is fully closed.

A kindergarten’s exact holiday schedule is decided locally and usually announced close to the holiday — confirm with your kindergarten.

Nurseries during the holidays and at Christmas

Nurseries operate year-round (Law no. 263/2007 and the methodology in Government Decision no. 566/2022). Their own closure is up to ~30 days, usually in summer. In Cluj, the municipal network announces the closure in August for all nurseries — so over the Christmas period:

• Nurseries stay open on working days in the 23 December – 10 January window.
• They close only on statutory public holidays (25–26 December, 1–2 January).

For summer, see nurseries closed in summer and your alternatives. For state kindergartens in summer, see state kindergartens in summer.

What to confirm with your unit

• The kindergarten’s exact winter schedule (whether it runs on-call groups and its hours).
• The ski week chosen by ISJ Cluj (published around February 2027).
• The exact public holidays within the winter break.
• At the nursery, its own closure period (in Cluj, August).

To watch (not law yet): there’s a proposal to move nurseries that would fall under the Ministry of Education onto the school-year structure (like kindergarten). For now, in Cluj the current framework stands — nurseries operate year-round, with an August closure. Check the status before relying on it.

Frequently asked questions

Are state kindergartens closed during holidays? Yes, they follow the school-year structure. Many organise on-call groups on request; on statutory public holidays they’re fully closed.

Do nurseries close at Christmas? Generally no — they stay open on working days in the winter break and close only on statutory public holidays (25–26 December, 1–2 January).

When is the winter break in 2026–2027? 23 December 2026 – 10 January 2027, with courses resuming on 11 January 2027.

When is the state nursery in Cluj closed? In August (the closure period announced by the municipal network), plus statutory public holidays.

How do I find out the exact winter schedule? Confirm with your kindergarten/nursery and ISJ Cluj — holiday announcements are usually published close to the holiday.

Sources

• Order ME no. 3,194/2026 — the 2026–2027 school-year structure (Official Gazette no. 126/16.02.2026)
• Law no. 263/2007 and Government Decision no. 566/2022 — nursery operation (the annual closure)
• Creșa pentru Educație Timpurie Cluj-Napoca and ISJ Cluj

See all our official sources on the data sources page.

Conclusion

In 2026–2027, state kindergartens close during holidays (with possible on-call groups), while nurseries stay open at Christmas, except on statutory public holidays. Confirm the exact schedule with your unit, then find every nursery and kindergarten in Cluj-Napoca on the interactive piticluj.ro map.