Only four long weekends are expected in 2019, the same
as this year and in 2011 and 2012.
This is despite there being two holidays on a Friday
and three on a Sunday, as National Day and Hari Raya Haji fall on
the same weekend.
While the low figure does not measure up to the bumper
crop of seven long weekends last year, there are some ways you can
extend your weekends.
Here's how you can maximise the 11 gazetted public
holidays next year.
Of the 11 public holidays next year, only two fall on a
Friday, while three fall on a Sunday.
The Friday holidays are Good Friday on April 19 and
National Day on Aug 9.
The Sunday holidays are Vesak Day on May 19, Hari Raya
Haji on Aug 11 and Deepavali on Oct 27.
For the holidays that fall on a Sunday, the following
Monday will be a public holiday.
There is at least one holiday in every month except for
March, July, September and November, so you could consider taking
leave in those periods to get a break.
February, May and August have two holidays each.
One way to enjoy more long weekends is to take leave on
Monday for the Tuesday public holidays, earning yourself long
weekends.
There are only two days you can do so for next year:
Dec 31, 2018, the Monday which is a day before New Year's Day on
Jan 1, 2019, and Feb 4, which is the Monday before the first day of
Chinese New Year.
That would give you a five-day extra-long weekend for
Chinese New Year.
Alternatively, you could take two days off on Thursdays
and Fridays for any of the four holidays that fall on a Wednesday
to get a five-day-long weekend and squeeze a short trip in.
2019 is a bad year for holidays, with only four long
weekends. This low number is on a par with 2013, 2014 and 2018.
There were six long weekends in 2016, and seven in
2017.
ST
