How to maximise your annual leave with public holidays (2021)

Whether you’re planning to use the public holidays in 2021 to go on a long weekend staycation or simply chillax at home, we’ve got just the cheatsheet for you. Bookmark this, then quickly reserve your leave before your colleagues do so.;

Most Singaporeans probably already know that we only have three long weekends out of the 11 gazetted public holidays left to look forward to in 2021.

But with a little strategic planning, you can turn the rest of them into long(er) weekends (with a total of 32 days off work!) using only nine days’ of annual leave. 

Here’s the list of 2021 gazetted public holidays according to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower:

And since New Year’s already gone and passed, we shall start with February. 

February

1. Chinese New Year 

Feb 11 (Thursday): Take leave
Feb 12 (Friday): Chinese New Year
Feb 13 (Saturday): Chinese New Year
Feb 14 (Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Four days off with one day of leave. 

What to do: Soak in CNY vibes by shopping at Chinatown, have a meal at the newly-revamped food street, and if you have the time, head down to Universal Studios Singapore. 

Po from Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Fiona, Puss in Boots and the rest of your favourite characters will be dressed in CNY garb, so be prepared to take tonnes of selfies. Also, get to hear Mandarin greetings from Optimus Prime and the towering leader of the Decepticons, Megatron. 

April

1. Good Friday

April 1 (Thursday): Take leave
April 2 (Friday): Good Friday
April 3 (Saturday): Weekend
April 4 (Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Four days off with one day of leave. 

What to do: Yippie, it’s another long weekend in 2021! This period will usually be jam-packed with Easter activities, so click here closer to the date for events happening during this time. 

May

1. Labour Day

May 1 (Saturday): Weekend

What you get: Well, you can’t get much out of this public holiday because it falls on a Saturday. However, you can always look forward to a day of off-in-lieu or an extra day’s pay. 

2. Hari Raya Puasa

May 13 (Thursday): Hari Raya Puasa
May 14 (Friday): Take leave
May 15 (Saturday): Weekend
May 16 (Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Four days off with one day of leave. 

What to do: For families or couples seeking respite from the city, how about going overseas, literally? Hop on a ferry and go on a day trip to either St John’s Island, Kusu Island or Pulau Ubin or all three islands over four days if you have the energy.

If you have a bigger budget, you can opt for a cruise to nowhere. 

3. Vesak Day

May 26 (Wednesday): Vesak Day
May 27 (Thursday): Take leave
May 28 (Friday): Take leave
May 29 (Saturday): Weekend
May 30(Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Five days off with two days of leave. 

What to do: We don’t know if travel restrictions will be lifted then, but we think a five-day break is useful for a family bonding holiday. Our recommendation? Sentosa, because you’ll never run out of things to do in the State of Fun. They also have fantastic $100 deals that you can spend your SingapoRediscover vouchers on before they expire in June. 

ALSO READ: These are the long weekends in 2021

July

1. Hari Raya Haji

July 17(Saturday): Weekend
July 18 (Sunday): Weekend
July 19 (Monday): Take leave
July 20 (Tuesday): Hari Raya Haji

What you get: Four days off with one day of leave. 

What to do: The Great Singapore Sale happens around this time, so it’s time to go shopping, be it online or in-store. Bookmark these pages for the latest promo codes and the best credit card deals to save money on your purchases. 

August

1. National Day

Aug 6 (Friday): Take leave
Aug 7 (Saturday): Weekend
Aug 8 (Sunday): Weekend
Aug 9(Monday): National Day

What you get: Four days off with one day of leave. 

What to do: What better way to show off your patriotism and learn more about Singapore’s history than to go museum hopping, especially when entry to most museums are free?

Our top pick: Home, Truly: Growing Up With Singapore, 1950s to the Present, available at the National Museum of Singapore until Aug 31. This exhibition guarantees to bring nostalgia to the older folks, and it’s greatly educational for the younger ones. 

November

Deepavali

Nov 4  (Thursday): Deepavali
Nov 5 (Friday): Take leave
Nov 6 (Saturday): Weekend
Nov 7 (Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Four days off with one day of leave. 

What to do: Consider a staycation with your partner or a bunch of friends to celebrate surviving 2021. You deserve it. 

ALSO READ: Singapore Public Holidays in 2021: Why planning your holidays according to long weekends may not be a good idea

December

Christmas

Dec 24 (Friday): Take leave
Dec 25 (Saturday): Christmas Day
Dec 26 (Sunday): Weekend

What you get: Three days off with one day of leave. 

What to do: Anything festive! Just take the eve or the Monday after (Dec 27) off, you’ll need it to prepare or recharge from all that drinking and partying you did over the weekend. 

This article was first published in SingSaver.com.sg.