Singapore Public Holidays - Year 2011

Singapore has a total of eleven(11) national public holidays annually. This is less than many other countries. For example, Malaysia has about sixteen(16) per annum, and Hong Kong has seventeen(17). Nevertheless, some additional culturally significant, albeit non-holiday, days may be celebrated according to the traditional customs of various ethnic and religious groups.

This year, three(3) holidays fall on Sundays and one falls on a Saturday(New Year's Day. There are four(4) long weekends(Good Friday, Labour Day (May Day), Hari Raya Haji, and Christmas Day) and one 'super' long weekend(Chinese New Year)

The offical rest day of the week is Sunday[1]. Many companies and organizations also do not work on Saturdays[2], or work only 1/2 days with some on an alternating-Saturday schedule.

The official public holidays (bank holidays) in Singapore for year 2011 are listed below. You might also like to see these holidays marked out in our Singapore 2011 Calendar.

New Year's Day

This is the first day of the year, and as with most other countries in the world which have adopted the Gregorian calendar, Singapore welcomes this day with a public rest day.

Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year

For year 2011, the Day 1 of the Chinese Lunar New Year falls on a Thursday. This results in a 'super' long weekend of continuous four days of holidays for most. Gregorian year 2011 coincides mainly with the year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. The previous year was that of the Tiger, and the next year(2012) will be the year of the Dragon. The associated heavenly element (one of five) for the Chinese year coinciding mainly with Gregorian year 2011 is the Metal element in the Yin form.

Good Friday

Good Friday is the day Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is the Friday before Easter Day (Sunday) which itself is not a gazetted holiday in Singapore.

Labour Day

This is a holiday, celebrated worldwide, in recognition of workers' contribution. In Singapore, as with most countries, it is designated to be the first day of May. Labour Day is also commonly known as May Day in such countries.

Singapore General Election Polling Day

On 19 April, 2011, Parliament was dissolved by the President of Singapore and the Parliamentary General Election(GE) schedule was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The Polling Day on which voters will cast their ballot for the election candidates was set as 7 May 2011. Accordingly, this date is a gazetted holiday.

Vesak Day

Vesak Day is observed by Buddhists in Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and many other southeast Asian countries in memory of Gautama Buddha's birth, attainment of Nirvana and passing. This is a gazetted public holiday in Singapore.

National Day

9 August 2011 will mark the 46th year of independence for the Republic of Singapore.

Hari Raya Puasa

Hari Raya Puasa is the local Malay name for the Muslim religious holiday/celebration of Eid ul-Fitr (Aidilfitri), which marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Deepavali

Deepavali, also known as Diwali, is an Indian holiday/festival celebrated by Indians, especially by followers of the religions of Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. It is also commonly called the Festival of Lights.

Hari Raya Haji

Hari Raya Haji is the local Malay name for the Muslim religious holiday/celebration of Eid ul-Adha.

Christmas Day

As Christmas 2011 falls on a Sunday, the next day will be a public holiday. Christmas is an important season for Christians and Catholics. And Singapore, with a substantial percentage of the population belonging to the faiths, celebrates this day as a national holiday. With an increasing trend of commercialization of this festival, many Singaporeans(known for their love of shopping), Christians and non-Christians alike, look forward to the season for its retail sales bonanza as well. In the run-up to the day, the Singapore tourism promotion board and retail stakeholders spare no effort to decorate and light up the well-known thoroughfare of Orchard Road, where many of the nation's biggest malls are located.