Jump to content

Public holidays in Singapore

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 222.164.120.83 (talk) at 08:44, 12 August 2012 (→‎Other special days observed: edit Malay translations (more accurate)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The 11 major public holidays in Singapore reflect the cultural and religious diversity of the country. They include the Chinese New Year, the Buddhist holiday Vesak Day, the Muslim holidays Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji, the Hindu holiday Deepavali, and the Christian holidays of Good Friday and Christmas Day. This represents a carefully calibrated distribution of public holidays among the religious and ethnic communities in the country. Because of this, certain special days traditionally celebrated by locals have not been given public holiday status. These include Christian holidays such as Ascension Day; Muslim holidays such as Awal Muharram and Mawlid, the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad; and Hindu holidays such as Thaipusam.

Public holidays

The days observed as general public holidays in Singapore are declared in the schedule to the Holidays Act.[1] According to the Ministry of Manpower, which issues a yearly list of the dates on which public holidays fall, the holidays were "chosen and agreed upon after close consultation with different community and religious leaders in Singapore".[2] Other factors taken into account were the impact on business costs and statutory leave provided for under the Employment Act.[3] Thus, some religious holidays such as Easter Monday, Awal Muharram (the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad) and Thaipusam were removed from the list of public holidays to improve business competitiveness.[2]

There are generally 11 public holidays a year. However, due to the differences between the Islamic calendar and the Gregorian calendar, Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji is celebrated twice in a Gregorian calendar year every 32 or 33 years. This occurred in 1968 and 2000 for Hari Raya Puasa and 2006 for Hari Raya Haji, giving Singaporeans 12 public holidays in those years.[2]

If any public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following day which it not itself a public holiday is declared to be a public holiday in Singapore.[4] Thus, since National Day (9 August) in 2009 landed on a Sunday, the following Monday (10 August) was a public holiday. In 2010, as Chinese New Year was celebrated on Sunday, 14 February, and Monday, 15 February, the next day, Tuesday, 16 February, was also declared a public holiday. The President is empowered to declare any day to be observed as a public holiday in addition to or substitution for any day specified in the schedule to the Holidays Act, and may also declare any day in a year to be observed as an additional public holiday when in that year two public holidays fall on the same day.[5]

It is legal for employers to agree to give their employees other holidays in substitution for one or more public holidays.[6] No act or thing relating to any Government department or public authority, any judicial proceeding, any transaction, instrument or any other act or thing is rendered invalid where it is done or executed on a Sunday or public holiday.[7]

Under the Employment Act[8], an employee who is required to work on a public holiday is entitled to an extra day's salary at the basic rate of pay, in addition to the gross rate of pay for that holiday.

In September 2009, a campaign by Zuji, an online travel agent, resulted in 5,616 people voting for another public holiday. One of the reasons given by the company for organizing the campaign was that well-rested employees are more productive.[2]

Table of public holidays

2012 date[9] English name Chinese name Malay name Tamil name Remarks
1 January[note 1] New Year's Day 元旦/新年 Tahun Baru புத்தாண்டு
23–24 January Chinese New Year 农历新年 Tahun Baru Cina/Hari Raya Cina சீனப் புத்தாண்டு Date varies according to the Chinese calendar.
6 April Good Friday 受难节 Hari Jumaat Agung புனித வெள்ளி Date varies; this is the Friday before Easter Sunday, which is the first Sunday after the first Paschal Full Moon following the official vernal equinox. This Christian holiday commemorates the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 May Labour Day 劳动节 Hari Buruh தொழிலாளர் தினம் Celebrates the economic and social achievements of workers
5 May Vesak Day 卫塞节 Hari Wesak விசாக தினம் Date varies according to the Chinese calendar (15th day of the 4th month). Celebrates the birth, enlightenment and parinibbana of Gautama Buddha.
9 August National Day 国庆日 Hari Kebangsaan தேசிய தினம் Celebrates the independence of Singapore.
19 August[note 1] Hari Raya Puasa 开斋节 Hari Raya Puasa நோன்புப் பெருநாள் Date varies according to the Islamic calendar. Celebrates the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
26 October Hari Raya Haji 哈芝节 Hari Raya Haji ஹஜ்ஜிப் பெருநாள் Date varies according to the Islamic calendar. The holiday commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience to Allah.
13 November Deepavali 屠妖节 Hari Deepavali தீபாவளித் திருநாள் Date varies according to the Hindu calendar. The holiday celebrates the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana and vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna.
25 December Christmas Day 圣诞节 Hari Krismas/Hari Natal கிறிஸ்துமஸ் பண்டிகை This Christian holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

School holidays

School terms and term holidays

The following tables list school term holidays observed by all students in national schools.[10]

Primary and secondary schools

Term 2012 dates Holiday after term
Semester 1
Term 1 3 January – 9 March 10 March – 18 March
Term 2 19 March – 25 May 26 May – 24 June
Semester 2
Term 3 25 June – 31 August 1 September – 9 September
Term 4 10 September – 16 November 17 November – 31 December

Junior colleges

Semester Term 2012 dates Holiday after term
Year 1
Semester 1 Term 1 31 January – 9 March 10 March – 18 March
Term 2 19 March – 25 May 26 May – 24 June
Semester 2 Term 3 25 June – 31 August 1 September – 9 September
Term 4 10 September – 23 November 24 November 2012 – 6 January 2013
Year 2
Semester 1 Term 1 9 January – 9 March 10 March – 18 March
Term 2 19 March – 25 May 26 May – 24 June
Semester 2 Term 3 25 June – 31 August 1 September – 9 September
Term 4 10 September – 30 November 1 December – 31 December

Millennia Institute

Semester Term 2012 dates Holiday after term
Year 1
Semester 1 Term 1 31 January – 9 March 10 March – 18 March
Term 2 19 March – 25 May 26 May – 24 June
Semester 2 Term 3 25 June – 31 August 1 September – 9 September
Term 4 10 September – 23 November 24 November 2012 – 6 January 2013
Year 2
Semester 1 Term 1 9 January – 9 March 10 March – 18 March
Term 2 19 March – 25 May 26 May – 24 June
Semester 2 Term 3 25 June – 31 August 1 September – 9 September
Term 4 10 September – 23 November 24 November 2012 – 6 January 2013
Year 3
Semester 1 Term 1 9 January – 9 March 10 March – 18 March
Term 2 19 March – 25 May 26 May – 24 June
Semester 2 Term 3 25 June – 31 August 1 September – 9 September
Term 4 10 September – 30 November 1 December – 31 December

Other scheduled holidays

The following table list scheduled school holidays observed by students in national schools.

2012 date[10] English name Chinese name Malay name Tamil name Remarks
1 July[note 2] Youth Day 青年节 Hari Belia இளைஞர் தினம்
10 August Day after National Day 国庆日隔天 Hari selepas Hari Kebangsaan தேசிய தினதிற்கு அடுத்த நாள்
7 September Teachers' Day 教师节 Hari Guru ஆசிரியர் தினம் Date varies (first Friday of September); Celebrations are normally conducted the day before and students usually get half a day off.
5 October Children's Day 儿童节 Hari Kanak-kanak குழந்தையர் தினம் Date varies (first Friday of October); observed in primary schools only

Other special days observed

The following special days are observed or celebrated by significant segments of the Singaporean population, but are not public holidays.

Date English name Chinese name Malay name Tamil name Remarks
Full moon day in Thai, 10th month of the Tamil calendar (mid-January – mid-February) Thaipusam 大宝森节 Hari Thaipusam தைப்பூசம் Date varies according to Tamil calendar
14 February Valentine's Day 情人节 Hari Valentine காதலர் தினம் Originally the feast day of St. Valentine, a Roman Catholic saint
15 February Total Defence Day 全民防卫日 Hari Pertahanan Mutlak முழுமைத் தற்காப்பு தினம் 15 February 1942 was the date of the surrender of Singapore by the British to the Japanese and the start of the Japanese Occupation of Singapore.
8 March International Women's Day 国际妇女节 Hari Wanita Antarabangsa அனைத்துலக பெண்கள் தினம்
Sunday after first Paschal Full Moon on or after vernal equinox (22 March – 25 April) Easter 复活节 Hari Easter (Paskah) ஈஸ்டர் Date varies according to a lunisolar calendar
Qingming solar term (4-5 April) Qingming Festival 清明节 Perayaan Qingming / Cheng Beng சிங் மிங் தினம் Date varies according to the solar term in Chinese calendar
2nd Sunday of May Mother's Day 母亲节 Hari Ibu அன்னையர் தினம் Date varies
5th day of 5th Chinese month Dragon Boat Festival 端午节 Pesta Kapal Naga நாகக் கப்பல் பந்தயம் Date varies according to Chinese calendar
3rd Sunday of June Father's Day 父亲节 Hari Bapa தந்தையர் தினம் Date varies
15th day of 7th Chinese month Hungry Ghost Festival 中元节 Perayaan Hantu Lapar பசிகொண்ட பூத விழா Date varies according to Chinese calendar
1 July Singapore Armed Forces Day 新加坡武装部队日 Hari Angkatan Bersenjata Singapura சிங்கப்பூர் ஆயுதப்படை தினம்
21 July Racial Harmony Day 种族和谐日 Hari Keharmonian Kaum இன நல்லிணக்க நாள் The first incident of the 1964 race riots in Singapore took place on 21 July 1964.
15th day of 8th Chinese month Mid-Autumn Festival / Moon Cake Festival 中秋节 Pesta Kuih Bulan / Pesta Tanglung திங்கள் விழா Date varies according to Chinese calendar

Notes

  1. ^ a b As this public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is also a public holiday.
  2. ^ As this scheduled school holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is also a scheduled school holiday.

References

  1. ^ Holidays Act (Cap. 126, 1999 Rev. Ed.), s. 4(1).
  2. ^ a b c d Jeanette Wang (26 October 2009), "Public holidays: How S'pore compares", The Straits Times, p. B19.
  3. ^ Employment Act (Cap. 91, 2009 Rev. Ed.).
  4. ^ Holidays Act, s. 4(2).
  5. ^ Holidays Act, ss. 5(1) and (2).
  6. ^ Holidays Act, s. 6.
  7. ^ Holidays Act, s. 7.
  8. ^ Employment Act (Cap. 91, 2009 Rev. Ed.)
  9. ^ "Public Holidays 2012". Ministry of Manpower (Singapore). Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  10. ^ a b "School Terms and Holidays for 2012". Ministry of Education (Singapore). Retrieved 2 January 2012.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Public_holidays_in_Singapore&oldid=507010106"