Not a Public Holiday in Singapore: 15 Days People Get Wrong

Every year the same questions come up in group chats and HR inboxes: is Thaipusam a public holiday? Do we get Boxing Day off? Is Christmas Eve a half day? Singapore gazettes exactly eleven public holidays a year, and a surprising number of days that feel like holidays are not a public holiday in Singapore at all.

This page lists the days people most often get wrong, why each one is not gazetted, and what you are actually entitled to. For the eleven days that are gazetted, see the 2026 public holiday calendar.

Quick Answer: Days That Are Not a Public Holiday in Singapore

Festivals That Feel Like Holidays But Are Not

Thaipusam is the one that surprises people most. It is one of the most visible festivals in Singapore — the kavadi procession from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple draws thousands and closes roads — yet it is not a public holiday in Singapore. It was one until 1968, when the government cut the number of gazetted holidays to reduce disruption to the economy. Devotees who want the day off take annual leave.

Mid-Autumn Festival fills Chinatown with lanterns and every bakery with mooncakes, and is still not a public holiday in Singapore. The same applies to the Hungry Ghost Festival, which runs for a whole lunar month, and to Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival in January.

The pattern is consistent: Singapore gazettes one holiday per major religious community rather than one per festival. Hindus have Deepavali, Buddhists have Vesak Day, Muslims have Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji, Christians have Good Friday and Christmas Day. Everything else is celebrated outside the holiday calendar.

The Days Around Real Holidays

Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are ordinary working days, and neither is a public holiday in Singapore. Many companies release staff at lunchtime or mid-afternoon, but that is company discretion, not an entitlement — there is no legal right to it and no obligation to pay extra if you work the full day.

Boxing Day catches out anyone who grew up with the British or Australian calendar. 26 December is simply not a public holiday in Singapore. Hong Kong gets it, Malaysia does not, Singapore does not.

Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are not gazetted either. Only Good Friday appears on the list. Easter Sunday falls on a Sunday anyway, so most people never notice, but Easter Monday is a full working day here even though it is a holiday in much of Europe and Australia.

School Days People Mistake for Public Holidays

This is the most common confusion for working parents, and the distinction matters financially. MOE sets several school holidays that carry no employment entitlement at all:

Teachers’ Day (4 September 2026), Youth Day (observed Monday 6 July 2026), Children’s Day (2 October 2026, primary schools only), Racial Harmony Day (21 July) and Total Defence Day (15 February) all close schools or run as school observances. Offices, shops, banks and public services operate exactly as normal. If your child is home, that is a childcare problem, not a day off.

The full term structure and which of these fall where is on our Singapore school holidays page.

Why “1 July” and Other Foreign Dates Keep Appearing

A steady trickle of people search whether 1 July is a holiday in Singapore. It is not, and never has been. 1 July is Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day — a Hong Kong public holiday that shows up on shared regional calendars and in cross-border team chats.

Malaysia causes the same confusion in the other direction, and more often, because so many Singapore teams have Malaysian colleagues. Awal Muharram, Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday, Nuzul Al-Quran, Federal Territory Day and the Agong’s birthday are all public holidays in Malaysia and none of them are gazetted in Singapore. Malaysian state holidays add another layer — Johor, Selangor and Penang each have their own.

If a date appears on a shared calendar and you cannot find it on MOM’s list, check which country the calendar was built for before asking HR.

The One Day That Becomes a Public Holiday Without Warning

Polling Day is the exception to everything above. When a general election is called, Polling Day is gazetted as a public holiday so that voters can get to the polls. It is not on any calendar printed in advance, because nobody knows when an election will be called.

When it happens, it carries the same entitlements as any other gazetted holiday: if you have to work, you are owed an extra day’s salary at the basic rate or a day off in lieu by agreement. Essential services operate as usual, and voting hours are set to let shift workers vote around their hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: The gazetted list is checked against the Ministry of Manpower’s official public holiday list, and school dates against the Ministry of Education.