If you’re already thinking about how to squeeze the most out of next year’s time off, you’re in good company. Singapore has confirmed 11 public holidays for 2026, and six of them land in a way that creates long weekends with just a bit of strategic leave.

4 related posts

Total public holidays in 2026: 11 ·
Long weekends in 2026: 6 ·
First public holiday: New Year’s Day (1 Jan) ·
Last public holiday: Christmas Day (25 Dec) ·
Holidays on a Sunday (observed Monday): National Day (9 Aug)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact dates for Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji are subject to moon sighting — listed as provisional by MOM (MOM press release 0616/2025)
  • Deepavali date is also provisional and may shift by one day (MOM public holidays page)
3Timeline signal
  • Holidays spread across all 12 months, with clusters in February (CNY), March–May, and December (MOM full calendar)
4What’s next
  • First public holiday: New Year’s Day (1 Jan 2026) — a Thursday (MOM 2026 schedule)

What are the holidays in Singapore in 2026?

List of 11 public holidays in 2026

Singapore’s 2026 public holiday roster runs the full cultural gamut: Chinese New Year, two Islamic festival dates, Christian Good Friday, Buddhist Vesak Day, Hindu Deepavali, and secular National Day. All 11 dates are confirmed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM, Singapore’s labour regulator) in its 16 June 2025 press release.

Ten distinct holidays, one pattern: three of the 11 fall on a Sunday and shift to the following Monday, creating automatic long weekends.

The table below shows every official date.

Date Holiday Day of week
New Year’s Day Thursday
Chinese New Year Tuesday
Chinese New Year (2nd day) Wednesday
Hari Raya Puasa * Saturday
Good Friday Friday
Labour Day Friday
Hari Raya Haji * Wednesday
Vesak Day Sunday
Vesak Day (observed) Monday
National Day Sunday
National Day (observed) Monday
Deepavali * Sunday
Deepavali (observed) * Monday
Christmas Day Friday

* Subject to confirmation by moon sighting.

The upshot

The 2026 calendar rewards forward planning. Three holidays (Vesak Day, National Day, Deepavali) fall on Sunday and trigger Monday observance — that alone delivers three automatic long weekends without any leave application.

The implication: employees can count on the full slate rather than a surprise mid-year reduction.

How many public holidays are there in Singapore in 2026?

Singapore officially has 11 public holidays in 2026, as gazetted by MOM. This count matches the standard annual total (11–12) that Singapore has maintained for years. The full list includes New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year (2 days), Good Friday, Hari Raya Puasa, Labour Day, Vesak Day, National Day, Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali, and Christmas Day, as confirmed by MOM’s press release.

Editorial verdict: Workers can count on the full 11-day slate — no surprise reduction.

Will Singapore have 6 long weekends in 2026?

Why this matters

Six long weekends in a single year is unusually high — most years deliver 4–5. The 2026 calendar’s alignment of Thursday/Friday/Sunday holidays creates more opportunities than usual for workers to stretch their leave.

Which dates form long weekends in 2026?

Six distinct long weekends are possible in 2026. These arise when a public holiday falls on a Friday, Monday, or adjacent to a weekend. The table below shows how each one works — along with the minimal leave required to unlock it.

Six opportunities, one pattern: 5 of the 6 require just 1 or 2 days of annual leave to create a 4-day break.

Here is how each long weekend breaks down.

Holiday Date Long weekend dates Days of leave needed
Chinese New Year 17–18 Feb (Tue–Wed) 14–18 Feb (Sat–Wed) 1 (Mon 16 Feb)
Good Friday 3 Apr (Fri) 3–6 Apr (Fri–Mon) 0
Labour Day 1 May (Fri) 1–4 May (Fri–Mon) 0
Vesak Day 31 May–1 Jun (Sun–Mon) 30 May–1 Jun (Sat–Mon) 0
National Day 9–10 Aug (Sun–Mon) 8–10 Aug (Sat–Mon) 0
Christmas Day 25 Dec (Fri) 25–28 Dec (Fri–Mon) 0

The pattern: Good Friday, Labour Day, and Christmas Day all fall on Fridays, creating automatic 3-day weekends. Combine those with the Monday observance for Vesak Day and National Day, and 5 long weekends require zero leave. Only Chinese New Year needs 1 day of annual leave (Monday, 16 Feb) to stretch Tuesday–Wednesday holidays into a 5-day break.

How to maximize time off with leave?

Strategic use of annual leave can turn the 2026 calendar into extended breaks far beyond the long weekends. For workers with 14–18 days of leave, even a small allocation yields outsized results:

  • Chinese New Year (Feb): Take leave on Monday 16 Feb (1 day) to get a 5-day break (Sat–Wed).
  • Easter to Labour Day (Mar–May): Hari Raya Puasa (Sat 21 Mar) + Good Friday (Fri 3 Apr) + Labour Day (Fri 1 May) — spread across 6 weeks, not contiguous, but clustering leave around Good Friday and Labour Day gives two back-to-back 4-day weekends.
  • National Day (Aug): No leave needed — automatic 3-day weekend (Sat–Mon).
  • Deepavali to Christmas (Nov–Dec): Deepavali (observed Mon 9 Nov) creates a 3-day weekend. Christmas (Fri 25 Dec) gives another. Taking 4 days between Christmas and New Year (28–31 Dec) produces a 10-day break from 25 Dec to 4 Jan 2027.

The trade-off: using 5 days of leave across the year unlocks 6 long weekends plus a Big Christmas–New Year break. For anyone with standard leave entitlements, that’s a strong return on investment.

Editorial verdict: Workers who apply just 5 days of leave can unlock six long weekends and a 10-day Christmas break.

Is Feb 17 and 18 2026 a holiday?

Chinese New Year dates in 2026

Yes — 17 February 2026 (Tuesday) and 18 February 2026 (Wednesday) are both official public holidays in Singapore, marking Chinese New Year and the second day of Chinese New Year. The dates are fixed and confirmed by MOM’s 2026 public holiday schedule. As the table above shows, taking Monday 16 February off creates a 5-day break.

Are both days public holidays?

Yes, both days are gazetted as public holidays under the Employment Act. This is standard — Chinese New Year has been a 2-day public holiday in Singapore for years, as specified in MOM’s public holidays guidance. No employer can require work on these days without providing replacement off-in-lieu or pay, depending on the employment contract.

The catch

Because both days fall midweek (Tuesday–Wednesday), many workers might not automatically get a long weekend without applying that one-day leave. But that single day (Monday) turns 2 regular days off into 5 consecutive days — a strong incentive.

The implication: that one Monday is the difference between a regular work week and a five-day break.

What is the next public holiday in Singapore?

First public holiday of 2026

The first public holiday of 2026 is New Year’s Day on , a Thursday. It’s also the first long-weekend opportunity of the year, since you can take Friday 2 January off for a 4-day break (1–4 Jan). The date is set by MOM’s 2026 calendar.

Upcoming holidays after New Year’s Day

After New Year’s Day, the next public holiday is Chinese New Year on 17 February 2026 — a gap of 47 days. That’s the longest dry spell in the 2026 calendar. After Chinese New Year, holidays arrive in tighter clusters: Hari Raya Puasa on 21 March (32 days later), then Good Friday on 3 April (13 days later), then Labour Day on 1 May (28 days later). The bunching means late March to early May 2026 is the most holiday-dense period of the year.

The implication: January to mid-February is the best window to bank annual leave for the February–May holiday cluster.

Editorial verdict: Workers should save their leave through the January dry spell — the February-to-May cluster is the year’s most holiday-dense window.

Why is Monday a holiday in Singapore?

What happens when a public holiday falls on a Sunday?

In Singapore, if a public holiday falls on a Sunday — which is a rest day for most employees — the following Monday is designated as the public holiday in lieu. This rule is set out in MOM’s Employment Act guidance. The Monday observance ensures workers don’t lose a paid public holiday when the date coincides with their rest day.

Examples from 2026: National Day

National Day (9 August 2026) falls on a Sunday. As a result, Monday 10 August 2026 is the observed public holiday. The official MOM public holiday dataset on data.gov.sg confirms 10 August as the observed date. That creates an automatic 3-day weekend: Saturday 8 August to Monday 10 August, with zero leave needed.

Two other holidays in 2026 trigger the same rule: Vesak Day (31 May, Sunday → observed 1 June) and Deepavali (8 November, Sunday → observed 9 November), both confirmed by MOM’s dataset view.

The pattern

Three Sunday holidays in a single year is the highest possible frequency under the current calendar. The rule saves workers from losing paid leave — and it’s the single biggest reason Singapore gets 6 long weekends in 2026 rather than 3 or 4.

The catch: this rule is the single biggest reason Singapore gets six long weekends in 2026 rather than three or four.

Timeline: Singapore’s 2026 public holidays at a glance

Ten holiday events across the year, one pattern: the longest gap between holidays is 47 days (1 Jan to 17 Feb), and the shortest gap is 4 days (27–31 May for Hari Raya Haji to Vesak Day).

  • 1 Jan 2026 — New Year’s Day (Thursday)
  • 17–18 Feb 2026 — Chinese New Year (Tuesday–Wednesday)
  • 21 Mar 2026 — Hari Raya Puasa * (Saturday)
  • 3 Apr 2026 — Good Friday (Friday)
  • 1 May 2026 — Labour Day (Friday)
  • 27 May 2026 — Hari Raya Haji * (Wednesday)
  • 31 May – 1 Jun 2026 — Vesak Day (Sunday–Monday observed)
  • 9–10 Aug 2026 — National Day (Sunday–Monday observed)
  • 8–9 Nov 2026 — Deepavali * (Sunday–Monday observed)
  • 25 Dec 2026 — Christmas Day (Friday)

All dates sourced from MOM’s 2026 public holiday press release and MOM’s public holidays page. * Provisional dates subject to moon sighting.

Confirmed facts and what’s still uncertain

Confirmed facts

  • All 11 public holidays for 2026 are confirmed by MOM press release 0616/2025.
  • Chinese New Year dates (17–18 Feb) are fixed and not subject to change.
  • National Day (9 Aug) falls on Sunday; MOM’s dataset confirms Monday 10 Aug as the observed holiday.
  • Vesak Day (31 May) on Sunday; Monday 1 June confirmed as observed — per data.gov.sg / MOM.
  • Deepavali (8 Nov) on Sunday; Monday 9 Nov confirmed as observed — per MOM’s public holidays page.

What’s unclear

  • Exact dates for Hari Raya Puasa (listed as 21 Mar 2026) and Hari Raya Haji (listed as 27 May 2026) are provisional, subject to the Islamic lunar calendar moon sighting — as noted in MOM’s press release. Adjustment by ±1 day is possible.
  • Deepavali date (8 Nov 2026) is also provisional and may shift by one day, per MOM’s advisory.

The pattern: the three provisional holidays are all lunar-based. If you’re planning leave around them, wait until the final confirmation (typically a few weeks before each date) before booking non-refundable travel.

Additional sources

info-tech.com.sg, quickhr.my, eclatinstitute.sg, moe.gov.sg, hrsea.economictimes.indiatimes.com, traveloka.com, sgschoolholidays.com, publicholidays.sg, publicholidays.sg

Don't miss these

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays are there in Singapore in 2026?

Singapore has 11 official public holidays in 2026, as gazetted by the Ministry of Manpower. MOM’s press release confirms all 11 dates.

What are the long weekends in 2026?

There are 6 long weekends in 2026: Chinese New Year (14–18 Feb with 1 day leave), Good Friday (3–6 Apr), Labour Day (1–4 May), Vesak Day (30 May–1 Jun), National Day (8–10 Aug), and Christmas Day (25–28 Dec). Five of these require zero annual leave.

Is Feb 17 and 18 2026 a holiday?

Yes. February 17 and 18, 2026 are official public holidays — Chinese New Year and the second day of Chinese New Year. Both dates are confirmed by MOM’s schedule.

Why is Monday a holiday in Singapore?

If a public holiday falls on a Sunday (the rest day for most employees), the following Monday becomes the observed public holiday. This rule is set out in MOM’s Employment Act guidance. In 2026, it applies to Vesak Day, National Day, and Deepavali.

When is Deepavali 2026?

Deepavali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, with Monday 9 November observed as the public holiday. The date is provisional and subject to confirmation by moon sighting. MOM’s dataset lists 9 November as the observed date.

What is the next public holiday after Chinese New Year 2026?

After Chinese New Year (17–18 Feb), the next public holiday is Hari Raya Puasa on 21 March 2026 (Saturday), subject to confirmation. That’s followed by Good Friday on 3 April.

Are there any public holidays in May 2026?

Yes. Labour Day on 1 May (Friday), Hari Raya Haji on 27 May (Wednesday, provisional), and Vesak Day on 31 May (Sunday, observed Monday 1 June). May 2026 contains three public holidays across four weeks.

How many public holidays fall on a Sunday in 2026?

Three public holidays fall on a Sunday in 2026: Vesak Day (31 May), National Day (9 Aug), and Deepavali (8 Nov). All three trigger a Monday observance, per MOM’s policy.

Related reading

For Singapore workers and families planning 2026 leave, the choice is clear: book that single Monday around Chinese New Year and the four Friday holidays fall into place automatically — or watch them turn into just another working week. The catch: those who fail to claim that one Monday leave day will leave a five-day break on the table.