Holidays

Singapore has 11 public holidays, of which only four (New Year's, Labour Day, National Day, and Christmas) fall on fixed dates. The rest are religious holidays whose dates depend on the lunar calendar. Some dates, such as Deepavali, will only be confirmed the year before. Consult the Singapore Ministry of Manpower Web site (www.mom.gov.sg) for updates. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be a public holiday. If you plan to travel to Singapore during Chinese New Year, plan your shopping around the official holiday days as most stores close. This is the only time of year when finding open restaurants outside of hotels can be tough.

Public Holidays

New Year's Day: January 1.

Hari Raya Haji: Jan. 10, 2006; Dec. 20, 2007; Dec. 9, 2008.

Chinese New Year (2 days): Jan. 29 & 30, 2006; Feb. 18 & 19, 2007; Feb. 7 & 8, 2008.

Good Friday: Apr. 14, 2006; Apr. 6, 2007; Mar. 21, 2008.

Labour Day: May 1.

Vesak Day: May 12, 2006; May 31, 2007; May 19, 2008.

National Day: Aug. 9.

Deepavali: Nov. 1, 2005; Oct. 20, 2006; Nov. 9, 2007; Oct. 27, 2008.

Hari Raya Puasa: Nov. 3, 2005; Oct. 4, 2005; Oct. 24, 2006; Oct. 13, 2007; Oct. 2, 2008.

Christmas: Dec. 25.