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Listed below are the Singapore Public Holidays and Singapore School Holidays in 2017 and 2018. Also listed are major Singapore Festival dates and Singapore Holidays.
Singapore Public Holidays in 2017 and 2018
The following 11 days are gazette Singapore public holidays.
| SINGAPORE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS | 2017 SINGAPORE HOLIDAYS | 2018 SINGAPORE HOLIDAYS | DESCRIPTION OF SINGAPORE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January 2017 (Sunday) | 1 January 2018 (Monday) | This is the first day of the Gregorian New Year. |
| New Year’s Day | 2 January 2017 (Monday) | Since New Year’s Day in 2017 is on a Sunday, the next Monday, 2 Jan 2017, is a holiday. | |
| Chinese New Year | 28 January 2017 (Saturday) | 16 February 2018 (Friday) | Chinese New Year is the most important Chinese festival in Singapore. Chinese dominated areas like Chinatown, are colourfully lit up weeks before the New Year. Lion dancers, colourful lights, lanterns, fireworks, Chingay Parade, floats, street performances and Chinese food delicacies are all part of the Chinese New Year celebrations in Singapore. The Family Reunion Dinner on New Year’s eve is an important Singapore tradition. The prolonged Chinese New Year celebrations go on till Chinese Lantern Festival, 15 days into the New Year. Chinese New Year is also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year. 2017 is the Chinese year of the Rooster and 2018 is the Chinese year of the Dog. Since 29 Jan 2017 is a Sunday, the next Monday is a public holiday in Singapore. |
| Chinese New Year | 29 January 2017 (Sunday) | 17 February 2018 (Saturday) | |
| Chinese New Year | 30 January 2017 (Monday) | ||
| Good Friday | 14 April 2017 (Friday) | 30 March 2018 (Friday) | Good Friday is a Christian Festival that commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Singaporean Christian attend Church service on this solemn day. This link has information on the Top 10 Best And Most Famous Churches in Singapore. |
| Vesak Day (Buddha Purnima) | 10 May 2017 (Wednesday) | 30 April 2018 (Monday) | Buddha Purnima (Vesak) is the birthday of Gautam Siddhartha, who attained enlightenment and became Buddha. In Singapore Vesak Day is a celebration of the birth, life, enlightenment and death of Buddha. One in three Singaporean is a Buddhist. Buddhism is the largest religion in Singapore. On Vesak Day devotees pray at Buddhist Temples, wash Buddha statues with water and perform good deeds during the day. Vesak Day is also known as Buddha Purnima and Buddha Day. This is a list of the Top 10 Best And Famous Buddhist Temples In Singapore. |
| Labour Day | 1 May 2017 (Monday) | 1 May 2018 (Tuesday) | May 1 is International Workers’ Day, which is also known as May Day and Labour Day. In Singapore Labour Day celebrates the contribution of workers. |
| Hari Raya Puasa (Eid-Al-Fitr) | 25 June 2017 (Sunday) | 15 June 2018 (Friday) | Hari Raya Puasa is a Muslim Festival that marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadan. Throughout Ramadan, adult Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. On Hari Raya Puasa (Eid al-Fitr), Singaporean Muslims put on new clothes and offer prayers at the Mosque. After this they greet family and friends. Most Muslim households have special food preparations for this festival. Hari Raya Puasa is also known as Eid al-Fitr, Id al-Fitr, Hari Raya Fitrah and Hari Raya Idul Fitri. This is a list of the Top 10 Best And Most Famous Mosques in Singapore. |
| Hari Raya Puasa (Eid-Al-Fitr) | 26 June 2017 (Monday) | Since 25 June 2017 is a Sunday, the next Monday, 26 June 2017, is a public holiday. | |
| Singapore National Day | 9 August 2017 (Wednesday) | 9 August 2018 (Thursday) | Singapore gained its independence from Malaysia on August 9, 1965. Singapore National Day celebrates Singapore’s independance. Singapore National Day Parade is the biggest of the day. This is a military and cultural parade which is followed by dazzling fireworks. |
| Hari Raya Haji (Eid-Al-Adha) | 1 September 2017 (Friday) | 21 August 2018 (Tuesday) | According to legend Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son on the command of God. At the last moment God tells Abraham to stop and instead an animal is sacrificed. Hari Raya Haji is a Muslim festival that honours Abraham’s sacrifice. On Hari Raya Haji Muslims pray at the Mosque. Some Mosque sacrifice animal and distribute food among the needy. Hari Raya Haji also marks the end of Haj, which is the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. Hari Raya Haji is popularly known as Eid-Al-Adha or Id Al-Adha or Bakri-Id. |
| Deepavali (Diwali) | 18 October 2017 (Wednesday) | 8 November 2018 (Thursday) | Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu festival of light. Deepavali celebrates the return to Ayodhya of Lord Ram after 14 years of exile. Lord Ram was accompanied by his wife, Sita and his brother, Lakshman, in exile. On Diwali Hindus clean up their homes, wear new clothes, pray, give gifts to family and friends and burst firecrackers. The most important activity on Deepavali is Lakshmi Puja or prayer to Goddess Lakshmi the Goddess of wealth. This is a list of the Top 10 Best Hindu Temples in Singapore. |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2017 (Monday) | 25 December 2018 (Tuesday) | Christians celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Singapore celebrates Christmas with zeal and splendour. Singapore streets are lit up with decorative lights. The Christmas decorations at Singapore’s malls, especially those on Orchard Road, are a sight to behold. The fun mood in Singapore continues till New Year. This is a list of the Top 10 Best And Most Famous Churches in Singapore. |
PLEASE NOTE:
- If a Singapore Holiday is on Sunday, then the following Monday is a holiday.
- Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has announced the list of Singapore public holidays in 2017. Please refer to their website for further details. The 2018 list of public holidays in Singapore is yet to be officially announced.
- Employers have the flexibility to give employees alternate holidays in place of the above Singapore public holidays.
- The above Singapore Public Holidays are also Singapore bank holidays and Singapore national holidays.
Singapore School Holidays in 2017 and 2018
Singapore’s schools have two Semesters and each Semester has 2 Terms. There is a long holiday break between the two Semesters and a short break between Term 1 and Term 2 of both Semesters. In addition to the Singapore public holidays, schools also get holidays for Youth Day, Day after National Day, Teachers’ Day and Children’s Day.
Singapore School Holidays in 2017
| SINGAPORE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS IN 2017 | SINGAPORE SCHOOL HOLIDAY DATES IN 2017 |
|---|---|
| School Holidays between Terms 1 and 2 | 11 March, 2017 (Saturday) To 19 March, 2017 (Sunday) |
| School Holidays between Semeter 1 and Semeter 2 | 27 May, 2017 (Saturday) To 26 June, 2017 (Monday) |
| Singapore Youth Day | 2 July, 2017 (Sunday). Monday 3 July, 2017 is a School Holiday |
| Day after National Day | 10 August, 2017 (Thursday) |
| Singapore Teachers’ Day | 1 September, 2017 (Friday) |
| School Holidays between Terms 3 and 4 | 1 September, 2017 (Friday) To 10 September, 2017 (Sunday) |
| Singapore Children’s Day (Only Primary School has a Holiday) | 6 October, 2017 (Friday) |
| School Holidays at End of Academic Year | 18 November, 2017 (Saturday) To 1 January, 2018 (Monday) |
Dates That Singapore Schools Will Be Open In 2017
Singapore School Term Dates for 2017. These are the dates that students will attend school.
| SINGAPORE SCHOOL TERM IN 2017 | SINGAPORE SCHOOL DATES IN 2017 |
|---|---|
| 2017 Semester 1 | |
| Term 1 | Monday 2 January to Friday 10 March |
| Term 2 | Monday 20 March to Friday 26 May |
| 2017 Semester 2 | |
| Term 3 | Tuesday 27 June to Thursday 31 August |
| Term 4 | Monday 11 September to Friday 17 |
Singapore School Holidays in 2018
| SINGAPORE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS IN 2018 | SINGAPORE SCHOOL HOLIDAY DATES IN 2018 |
|---|---|
| School Holidays between Terms 1 and 2 | 10 March, 2018 (Saturday) To 18 March, 2018 (Sunday) |
| School Holidays between Semeter 1 and Semeter 2 | 26 May, 2018 (Saturday) To 24 June, 2018 (Sunday) |
| Singapore Youth Day | 1 July, 2017 (Sunday). Monday 2 July, 2017 is a School Holiday |
| Day after National Day | 10 August, 2018 (Friday) |
| Singapore Teachers’ Day | 7 September, 2017 (Friday) |
| School Holidays between Terms 3 and 4 | 1 September, 2018 (Saturday) To 9 September, 2018 (Sunday) |
| Singapore Children’s Day (Only Primary School has a Holiday) | 5 October, 2018 (Friday) |
| School Holidays at End of Academic Year | 17 November, 2018 (Saturday) To 1 January, 2019 (Tuesday) |
Dates That Singapore Schools Will Be Open In 2018
These are the Singapore School Term Dates for 2018. These are the dates that schools will be operational.
| SINGAPORE SCHOOL TERM IN 2018 | SINGAPORE SCHOOL DATES IN 2018 |
|---|---|
| 2018 Semester 1 | |
| Term 1 | Tuesday 2 January to Friday 9 March |
| Term 2 | Monday 19 March to Friday 25 May |
| 2018 Semester 2 | |
| Term 3 | Monday 25 June to Friday 31 August |
| Term 4 | Monday 10 September to Friday 16 Nov |
PLEASE NOTE: School holidays in Singapore are decided by the Ministry of Education. The above lists of Singapore school holidays in 2017 and Singapore school holidays in 2018 are tentative dates based pm holidays in previous years. Please refer to the Ministry of Education’s website for the official dates. Please note that this is not the official list of school holidays in Singapore.
Singapore Festivals And Special Days in 2017, 2018
In addition to the 11 Singapore public holidays, Singapore also celebrates many festivals, anniversaries and special days. Listed below are the anniversaries, special occasions and festivals in Singapore in 2017 and 2018.
| SINGAPORE FESTIVALS, HOLIDAYS | 2017 FESTIVALS IN SINGAPORE | 2018 FESTIVALS IN SINGAPORE | DESCRIPTION OF SINGAPORE FESTIVALS, SPECIAL DAYS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thaipusam | 10 February 2017 (Friday) | 31 January 2018 (Wednesday) | Thaipusam is a Hindu festival that is celebrated with fervour by Singapore’s Tamil community. Thaipoosam celebrates the victory of Lord Murugan over the demon Soorapadman and his demons (Asuras). Devotees take out a procession from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple (397 Serangoon Road, Little India), which travels for 4 Kms and ends at Sri Thendayuthapani Temple (15 Tank Road). Some worshipers carry milk, other pierce their bodies with spears. |
| Valentine’s Day | 14 February 2017 (Tuesday) | 14 February 2018 (Wednesday) | Valentine’s Day is globally celebrated as the day of love. Couples lavish gifts and dinners on their loved ones. Valintine’s Day is very popular in Singapore with one estimate suggesting that Singaporean’s are the largest spenders on Valentine’s Day in the world. |
| Total Defence Day | 15 February 2017 (Wednesday) | 15 February 2018 (Thursday) | February 15, 1942 marks the surrender of Singapore by the British to the Japanese. The main Total Defense Day commemorations take place at Kranji War Memorial. On this day the government spreads awareness message on defence preparedness. “Total Defence” is the name of Singapore’s comprehensive defence strategy. |
| Lantern Festival | 11 February 2017 (Saturday) | 2 March 2018 (Friday) | Chinese Lantern Festival takes place 15 days after the Chinese New Year. This is the first full moon in the new Chinese year. Lantern Festival signals the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. This festival is celebrated with the lighting of Lanterns. In Singapore the River Hongbao event is held on the Marina Bay Floating Platform. (NOTE: Mid-Autumn Festival in September also called Lantern Festival.) |
| International Women’s Day | 8 March 2017 (Wednesday) | 8 March 2018 (Thursday) | International Women’s Day is an international event that celebrates the role of women in all spheres of life. Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations, which is the coordinating body of women’s organizations, organizes an event on this day. |
| Holy Saturday (Easter Saturday) | 15 April 2017 (Saturday) | 31 March 2018 (Saturday) | Holy Saturday is the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. Holy Saturday is also known as Easter Saturday or Silent Saturday or Great Sabbath. Easter vigil is name of the mass on Holy Saturday. This link has information on the Top 10 Best And Most Famous Churches in Singapore. |
| Easter | 27 March 2016 (Sunday) | 1 April 2018 (Sunday) | Easter is an important Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This link has information on the Top 10 Best And Most Famous Churches in Singapore. |
| Qingming Festival (Ching Ming Festival) | 4 April 2017 (Tuesday) | 5 April 2018 (Thursday) | Qing Ming Festival is a Chinese festival that honours dead ancestors. For Qingming Festival, families clean the tombs of their ancestors and make offerings of food, flowers and incense. Qingming Festival is also known as “Ancestors Day”, “Tomb Sweeping Day”, “Chinese Pure Brightness Festival” and “Ching Ming Festival”. In Singapore, Chinese cemetery and columbaria are at Choa Chu Kang, Mount Vernon, Yishun and Mandai. |
| Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) | 14 April 2017 (Friday) | 14 April 2018 (Saturday) | Baisakhi Festival is mainly celebrated by the Sikh, Punjabi, Sindhi and North Indian communities. In Punjab Baisaki is the harvest festival and the Punjabi New Year. Vaisakhi or Baisakhi also marks the start of the Sikh Khalsa. Baisakhi is also known as Vaisakhi or Vasakhi. Sikh Gurudwaras (Temples) where Baisakhi is celebrated are Central Sikh Temple (Towner Road), Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road, Gurudwara Sahib Yishun, Katong Gurudwara, Pardesi Khalsa Dharmak Diwan, Khalsa Dharmak Sabha. |
| Mother’s Day | 14 May 2017 (Sunday) | 13 May 2018 (Sunday) | Mother’s Day is a global celebration of mothers. It a day for showering Mothers with love and affection. Mother’s Day is celebrated every year on the second Sunday in May. |
| Start of Ramadan (29-days) | 27 May 2017 (Saturday) | 16 May 2018 (Wednesday) | Ramadan (or Ramzan) is the Month of Fasting for Muslims. During Ramadan able-bodied adult Muslims are not supposed to eat from dawn to dusk. As per Islam, the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad for the first time during Ramadan. The pre-dawn meal is known as “Sahur” and the post dusk meal is known as “Iftar”. Ramadan ends on “Hari Raya Puasa”. Between 14% to 15% of Singapore’s population are followers of Islam. Majority of Singapore’s Muslims are of Malay ancestry, while some are of Indian ethnicity. |
| Dragon Boat Festival | 30 May 2017 (Tuesday) | 18 June 2018 (Monday) | The main celebrations for Dragon Boat Festival are held at Bedok Reservoir. Dragon boats from Singapore and abroad compete in the race. Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated in honour of the death anniversary of poet Qu Yuan. Dragon Boat Festival is also known as “Duanwu” and “Tuen Ng”. |
| Father’s Day | 18 June 2017 (Sunday) | 17 June 2018 (Sunday) | Father’s Day is a global celebration of fathers. It a day for celebrating the contribution made by fathers. Father’s Day is celebrated every year on the third Sunday in June. |
| Singapore Armed Forces Day | 1 July 2017 (Saturday) | 1 July 2018 (Sunday) | Armed Forces Day is celebrated to hounour Singapore’s Armed Forces (SAF). A parade is held on July 1. Winners of the Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition are awarded prizes on Singapore Armed Forces Day. |
| Racial Harmony Day | 21 July 2017 (Friday) | 21 July 2018 (Saturday) | Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-cultural country. Racial Harmony Day is celebrated to spread the message of racial and communal harmony. Racial Harmony Day is held on July 21 because Singapore’s first riots took place on 21 July, 1964. |
| Hungry Ghost Festival (Yu Lan Pen) | 5 September 2017 (Tuesday) | 25 August 2018 (Saturday) | Hungry Ghost Festival is a Buddhist and Taoist festival, which is mainly celebrated by the Chinese. Family members offer food, drinks, prayers and joss paper to their deceased relatives. In Singapore entertainment events are held on Hungry Ghost Festival, where the front rows are left empty for ghosts and spirits. The Hungry Ghost Festival is also known as “Yu Lan Jie” or “Zhong Yuan Jie”. The entire seventh month of the Chinese Calendar is considered to be Ghost Month where spirits enter from the after world. |
| Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) | 4 October 2017 (Wednesday) | 24 September 2018 (Monday) | Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as Moon Festival. Mainly celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people, Mid-Autumn Festival marks the end of the autumn harvest. Moon Festival festival is celebrated by gifting and eating mooncakes. In Singapore children carry lanterns during this festival; hence Mid-Autumn Festival is sometimes called “Lantern Festival”. Singapore’s Chinatown is beautifully lit up for Mid Autumn Festival and is the place to go to enjoy this festival. (NOTE: The “Lantern Festival” in February, that marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations, is different from this festival). |
| Islamic New Year (1st Day of Muharram) | 21 September 2017 (Thursday) | 11 September 2018 (Tuesday) | Islam follows a lunar calendar and this day is the Muslim New Year. The first month of the Islamic calendar is called Muharram and it is considered the second holiest month of the year after Ramadan. The tenth day of Muharram is of special importance to Shia Muslim, for whom it is Day of Ashura, and for Sunni Muslims who celebrate the victory of Moses and his people over the Pharaoh. |
| Maulad Nabi (Mawlid)- Birth of Prophet Muhammad | 1 December 2017 (Friday) | 20 November 2018 (Tuesday) | Maulad Nabi is the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. This Muslim festival is also called Maulid Nabi, Milad-Un-Nabi, Mawlid al-Nabi, Maulidur Rasul, Id-E-Milad. |
| Christmas Eve | 24 December 2017 (Sunday) | 24 December 2018 (Monday) | Christmas Eve is the day before Christmas. The midnight mass on Christmas Eve is of special importance to Christians, since it is believed that Jesus Christ was born at night. Between 18% to 19% of Singapore’s population are followers of Christianity and it is the fastest growing religion in Singapore. |
| New Year’s Eve | 31 December 2017 (Sunday) | 31 December 2018 (Monday) | The last day of the year is a day for fun. Parties are held all over Singapore to bring in the new year. |
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Images:
- Singapore Chinese New Year (Lantern Festival): Image by fliesyan. Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
- Singapore National Day Fireworks: Image by William Cho. Image taken from Wikimedia Commons. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
- Singapore Deepavali Celebrations: Image by David Sifry. Image used under Creative Commons License Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0).
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