Singapore Public Holidays 2025: Plan Your Long Weekends

As Singaporeans, we know the New Year isn't just about fireworks, fresh starts, and resolutions—it’s about something we truly treasure: long weekends and public holidays.

Chances are, you’re already mentally marking your calendar, planning how to turn those precious breaks into well-earned R&R. And why not? With a bit of planning (read: strategic use of annual leave), even ordinary weekends can turn into mini-vacations or extended holidays.

So, the big question is: how can we maximize Singapore’s public holidays and long weekends in 2025? Let’s break it down.

😌 How many public holidays do we have in Singapore for 2025?

Officially, Singapore has 11 gazetted public holidays each year. Notably, this excludes special allocations like Polling Day, which is expected to take place sometime in 2025. 
 

📅 2025 Public Holidays for Singapore

Below, you'll find an overview of all of the public holidays in Singapore for 2025. Additionally, for those wondering if there are any potential off-in-lieu scenarios, we've got you covered too.
 

💡 When is an off-in-lieu awarded for a public holiday?

Under Singapore's Employment Act, when a public holiday, like 2025's Hari Raya Haji or National Day, falls on a Saturday, employees are entitled to compensation as it is considered a "non-working day". 

Most of the time, this comes in the form of an off-in-lieu that has to be taken by the employee within that calendar year, though many employers simply allocate it to the next working day by default. Alternatively, salary can also be provided in its place.

However, if the public holiday falls on a Sunday, which is considered a "rest day", then the next working day is automatically gazetted as a public holiday by government mandate. 

📚 2025 School Holidays for Singapore

Officially, the 2025 school year for all Ministry of Education (MOE) primary schools, kindergartens, and secondary schools commences on 2 Jan and ends on 21 Nov.

However, only Primary 1 and Kindergarten 1 students will start school on 2 Jan. Primary 2-6 and Kindergarten 2 students will start on 3 Jan instead. As for the usual term breaks, we've compiled them for you just below.

🤔 Planning your Holidays for 2025

As much as we might wish for it, annual leaves are not an infinite resource. We only have a certain amount of them each year and have to be resourceful.

So, fret not, fellow Singaporean – we understand. Here, we've done up a more detailed list of long weekends and public holidays, along with some recommendations for when you should consider applying for leave.

Speaking of leave planning, there are actually 4 public holidays in 2025 that fall on either a Monday or a Friday - these should be easier to work around.
 

3 Public Holidays in 2025 fall on Monday:

• Hari Raya Puasa, 31 Mar
• Vesak Day, 12 May
• Deepavali, 20 Oct
   

1 Public Holiday in 2025 falls on Friday:

• Good Friday, 18 Apr

🎆 New Year's Day: 1 Jan (Wed)

Take Annual Leave on: Thu, 2 Jan & Fri, 3 Jan

Number of Days Used: 2

Number of Days Off: 5
 

Normally, it's tricky to make recommendations for the New Year because it depends on how many annual leaves you've taken in the last week of December. That is to say, the previous year. 

However, if we're assuming that number is zero (though it likely isn't), you could always opt to rest over the latter half of this week. This means applying for leave on Thursday, 2 Jan and Friday, 3 Jan, effectively making it a 5-day long weekend for you to enjoy.
 

🍊 Chinese New Year: 29 Jan (Wed) & 30 Jan (Thu)

Take Annual Leave on: Fri, 31 Jan

Number of Days Used: 1

Number of Days Off: 5
 

Swinging by at the tail end of January is Chinese New Year, which takes place on 29 and 30 Jan. Conveniently, it’s a Wednesday and Thursday, which means that with just 1 day of annual leave on 31 Jan (Fri), you can enjoy a solid 5 days away from the office. Honestly, it’s quite a good deal, no matter how you slice it.
 

🕌 Hari Raya Puasa, 31 Mar (Mon)

Take Annual Leave on: Tue, 1 Apr

Number of Days Used: 1

Number of Days Off: 4
 

Normally, if a public holiday falls on a Monday, logic dictates you should either take Tuesday or the preceding Friday off too.

However, because the public holiday in question here is Hari Raya Puasa, which signals the end of the fasting month for our Muslim friends, it might be better to take Tuesday instead of Friday. That way, they won't need to worry as much and can go hang out with you as per normal.
 

✝️ Good Friday, 18 Apr (Fri)

Take Annual Leave on: Thu, 17 Apr or Mon, 21 Apr

Number of Days Used: 1

Number of Days Off: 4
 

No, there are no prizes for guessing which day of the week this falls on, and if you don’t have any religious commitments to attend to on Good Friday, all it means is that you get to start your weekend a day early. Perhaps even two days early should you decide to take leave on Thursday, 17 Apr.

However, just like any other public holiday which falls on a Friday, the standard recommendation here is to take the following Monday, 21 Apr off. 
 

⚒️ Labour Day, 1 May (Thu)

Take Annual Leave on: 2 May, Fri

Number of Days Used: 1

Number of Days Off: 4

Frankly, the irony of not working on Labour Day is not lost on us, but we Singaporeans are way too busy relaxing to worry about who came up with the name of a public holiday.

Humour aside, since this one falls on a Thursday, it’s quite the no-brainer. Our recommendation remains the same as that for Chinese New Year just above – take Fri, 2 May off, and dive right back under the covers.
 

🪷 Vesak Day, 12 May (Mon)

Take Annual Leave on: Fri, 9 May or Tue, 13 May

Number of Days Used: 1

Number of Days Off: 4
 

2025’s Vesak Day falls on a Monday, so just like Hari Raya Puasa, if you don’t have anything that demands your attention (or attendance), you’ll want to consider taking a break on Tuesday or the preceding Friday. In fact, the latter seems particularly enticing, since you’d be able to have two back-to-back long weekends after the previous one on Labour Day.

🕌 Hari Raya Haji, 7 Jun (Sat)

Take Annual Leave on: Tue, 10 Jun

Number of Days Used: 1

Number of Days Off: 4
 

If you’re wondering, the short answer here is yes – you are entitled to an off-in-lieu for Hari Raya Haji this year because it falls on a Saturday. Of course, this is assuming that the date doesn’t change along the way.

Anyway, if your employer does decide to award you the off-in-lieu on the following Monday, 9 Jun, perhaps you’ll want to consider taking Tuesday, 10 Jun off as well. 2025 is absolutely filled to the brim with 4-day long weekends if you look in the right places, so be sure to maximise them.
 

🎂 National Day, 9 Aug (Sat)

Take Annual Leave on: Tue, 12 Aug

Number of Days Used: 1

Number of Days Off: 4
 

When it comes to long weekends, Fridays are usually the jackpot for public holidays, but it seems we’re just a bit off the mark for Singapore’s 60^th birthday.

On the bright side, we do get an off-in-lieu because it falls on Saturday this year, so if you’re not busy waving flags on 9 Aug, you might want to apply for leave on the following Tuesday and plan out your 4 days’ worth of R&R from there.
 

🕯️ Deepavali, 20 Oct (Mon)

Take Annual Leave on: Tue, 21 Oct

Number of Days Used: 1

Number of Days Off: 4
 

This year’s Deepavali holiday falls on a Monday, which makes it relatively easy to plan your schedule around. Of course, we understand our Hindu friends might already have their schedules full, but for the rest of us out there, the recommendation is to take Tuesday, 21 Oct off.

So, put in the application for that one day of leave, enjoy yet another 4-day break, and then hope you’ve still got enough for the last (and biggest!) hurrah for 2025.
 

🎅 Christmas Day, 25 Dec (Wed)

Take Annual Leave on: Fri, 26 Dec to Wed, 31 Dec

Number of Days Used: 4

Number of Days Off: 8
 

Pack your bags, book your plane tickets (early), and make way for the most high-value long weekend of 2025. Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, so if you’re not already overseas at this time, there’s a lot you can do here with just a couple of annual leaves.

Case in point, our recommendation is to spend 4 days of leave starting from Fri, 26 Dec to Wed, 31 Dec. Believe us, it’s going to be worth it, because not only do you get to enjoy the festive season to the fullest, but you can also ride the wave over the new year for a grand total of 8 days of leave!

🛏️ Enjoy your long weekends!

Truly, long weekends are great, but at the end of the day, it’s all about making sure YOU are taking good care of yourself!

So, whether you intend to sleep in over your rest days, enjoy luxurious spa treatments, or head overseas with friends and family, what’s most important is to enjoy yourself so that you return refreshed and reenergised.

In fact, if you’re heading out of town, it’s particularly important to make sure you’re well-covered for all contingencies.

It's easy to do that, too. With StarHub TravelProtection, you’ll be able to pull out all the stops while still staying connected with your loved ones. Cheers!