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The schedule of 11public holidays inSingapore which are gazetted and recognized since the establishment ofSingapore's 1998 Holidays Act.[1][2]
There are generally 11 public holidays a year; however, since the gap between theIslamic calendar and theGregorian calendar lasts around 11 days,Hari Raya Puasa andHari Raya Haji are respectively celebrated twice in a Gregorian calendar year every 32 or 33 years. This occurred in 1968 and 2000 for Hari Raya Puasa as well as 1974 and 2006 for Hari Raya Haji, giving Singaporeans 12 public holidays in those years instead of 13 since they are not close enough to be both celebrated twice in the same Gregorian year, only either one of the two.[3]
| Day or Month | 2025 Date | 2026 Date | Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | Celebrates the opening of theGregorian New Year marked annual day to commemorate the first day of the Gregorian calendar. | ||
| January/February | 29 and 30 January | 17 and 18 February | Chinese New Year | A two-day holiday. Celebrates the opening of theChinese holiday marked annual festival to commemorate the first and second days of theChinese calendar. |
| March/April | 18 April | 3 April | Good Friday | ThisChristian holiday marks the crucifixion and death ofJesus Christ. |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Celebrates theeconomic andsocial achievements of workers. | ||
| May/June | 12 May | 31 May | Vesak Day | ThisBuddhist holiday celebrates the birth andenlightenment andParinibbana ofGautama Buddha, held on the 15th day of the fourth Lunar Month of theChinese calendar. |
| 9 August | National Day | Celebrates thecommemorate the nationhood and independence of Singapore | ||
| October/November | 20 October | 8 November | Deepavali | TheHindu holiday celebrates the return ofLord Rama toAyodhya after defeating the demon kingRavana and vanquishing of the demonNaraka byLord Krishna |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | ThisChristian holiday celebrates the birth ofJesus Christ. | ||
| 1Syawal | 31 March | 21 March | Hari Raya Puasa | ThisIslamic holiday celebrates the close of the fasting month ofRamadan. |
| 10Zulhijjah | 7 June | 27 May | Hari Raya Haji | ThisIslamic holiday celebrates the willingness ofIbrahim to sacrifice his sonIsmael as an act of obedience toAllah. |
Under the Holidays Act, should a public holiday fall on a Sunday, the following Monday is gazetted as a public holiday (also called holiday-in-lieu). There are however, special occasions, that may be gazetted by thePresident of Singapore to declare any day to be observed as a public holiday by modifying any days specified in the schedule to the Holidays' Act and if any, another day to be observed as an additional public holiday when in that year two public holidays fall on the same day.[4] One such occasion occurred during the 2015 National Day, whereas an additional day of August 7 was gazetted as a public holiday in addition to August 10 being the holiday-in-lieu.
If any public holiday falls on a Saturday in Singapore, the following Monday is declared as a school holiday for students in primary and secondary schools, only if that Monday is not a public holiday itself.
Under Section 35 of the Parliamentary Elections Act and Section 17 of the Presidential Elections Act, Polling Day for a general election or a presidential election (but notby-elections) is a public holiday that is gazetted by thereturning officer from theElections Department Singapore. Under the Employment Act, employees not required to work on that day are entitled to one day off in lieu or be given one day's pay.[5]
| Latest Date | Name | Remarks | Last Election |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 May 2025 | General election | To elect the nextParliament of Singapore | 2025 general election |
| 1 September 2023 | Presidential election | To elect the nextpresident of Singapore | 2023 presidential election |
Up to and including 1968, these few were also gazetted aspublic holidays but were removed to improve business competitiveness.[3]
It is legal for employers to agree to give their employees other holidays in substitution for one or more public holidays.[7] No act or thing relating to anygovernment department or public authority, any judicial proceeding, any transaction, instrument or any other act or thing is rendered invalid where it is done or executed on a Sunday or public holiday.[8]
Under the Employment Act,[9] an employee who is required to work on a public holiday is entitled to an extra day's salary at the basic rate of pay, in addition to the gross rate of pay for that holiday.
The days observed as generalpublic holidays inSingapore are declared in the schedule to the Holidays Act.[10] According to theMinistry of Manpower, which issues a yearly list of the dates on which public holidays fall, the holidays were "chosen and agreed upon after close consultation with different community and religious leaders in Singapore".[3] Other factors taken into account were the impact on business costs and statutory leave provided for under the Employment Act.[11] Thus, some religious holidays such asEaster Monday,Mawlid (the birthday of Muhammad),Boxing Day andThaipusam were removed from the list of public holidays and become a non-holiday observances to improve business competitiveness.[3]
| National holidays (fixed) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| National holidays (moveable) | ||
| Removed holidays | ||
