Hungry Ghost Festival (中元节, Zhongyuan Jie) is a significant Chinese cultural observance in Singapore, taking place over the seventh month of the lunar calendar — typically falling between August and September. During this period, it is believed that the gates of the underworld open and spirits roam the earth, and offerings of incense, paper effigies, and food are made to appease them. Getai performances — live entertainment shows staged on open-air platforms — are a uniquely Singaporean expression of this festival and draw enthusiastic community crowds. ---
Public Holidays & Multicultural Festivals in Singapore 2026
View the official 2026 public holiday calendar for Singapore. Plan your long weekends, cultural festivals, and business schedules with our guide to Singapore's diverse national holidays.
Last verified: June 2026
Public Holidays & Observances List
Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节, Zhōngqiū Jié) is a Chinese cultural observance celebrated in Singapore on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. Mooncakes — dense pastries filled with lotus paste, red bean, or salted egg yolk — are the festival's defining food, exchanged as gifts between families, friends, and business associates. Singapore's Chinatown and Gardens by the Bay are popular destinations for lantern displays and festive light-ups during this period. ---
Halloween on 31 October has carved out a lively niche in Singapore's social calendar, driven largely by the entertainment and hospitality industries. Universal Studios Singapore's Halloween Horror Nights is one of Asia's most attended Halloween events, drawing visitors from across the region. It carries no public holiday status and has no traditional roots in Singapore culture, but themed parties, costume events, and decorated venues have made it a firm fixture in the lifestyle calendar. ---
Deepavali (also known as Diwali) is a statutory public holiday in Singapore, celebrated by the Hindu Tamil community as the Festival of Lights — marking the triumph of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. Little India is the focal point of Singapore's Deepavali celebrations, with an elaborate light-up along Serangoon Road that transforms the precinct for weeks before the festival. The date is determined by the Hindu lunar calendar and typically falls in October or November.
- Indian families celebrate Deepavali by lighting oil lamps (diyas), wearing new clothes, preparing traditional sweets like murukku, athirasam, and ladoo, and visiting temples for early morning prayers before making rounds of family visits.
- The Little India Deepavali Festival and Street Light-Up is one of Singapore's most vibrant seasonal events, drawing visitors of all backgrounds to experience the colour, music, food, and cultural performances of the Tamil community.
Christmas Eve on 24 December is a widely observed occasion in Singapore, though it carries no public holiday status. Orchard Road's Christmas light-up — one of Asia's most famous festive street decorations — reaches its peak on Christmas Eve, with enormous crowds gathering for the open-street atmosphere, carolling, and countdown to midnight. It is a genuinely multicultural celebration in Singapore, embraced well beyond the Christian community. ---
Christmas Day on 25 December is a statutory public holiday in Singapore, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and observed as a national occasion embraced across communities. Orchard Road remains the festive heart of Singapore's Christmas, with shopping malls, street performances, and light installations drawing visitors throughout December. For Singapore's Christian community, Christmas Day centres on church services, family gatherings, and charitable giving.
- Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning services at churches such as St. Andrew's Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, and Church of Our Saviour are attended by thousands of worshippers each year.
- Singapore's multicultural character means Christmas is shared broadly — shopping malls, hotels, and public spaces run full seasonal programmes, and the holiday is celebrated by Singaporeans of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian backgrounds alike.
New Year's Eve on 31 December brings Singapore's year to a close with some of the most spectacular public celebrations in Asia. The Marina Bay waterfront is the epicentre, with the Singapore Countdown featuring fireworks, drone light shows, and live performances broadcast nationally and internationally. It carries no public holiday status, though many employers and businesses close early or operate on reduced hours in anticipation of the evening's events. ---
Singapore Public Holidays in 2026: The Complete Guide
Singapore's public holiday calendar is unlike that of almost any other country. With eleven statutory public holidays spanning Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Western traditions, the calendar is a direct reflection of Singapore's multicultural identity — and navigating it effectively requires understanding not just the dates, but the communities and traditions behind them.
Understanding Singapore's Multicultural Public Holidays
Singapore's public holidays are formally distributed across four major communities: the Chinese community observes Chinese New Year (two days); the Malay-Muslim community observes Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji; the Indian community observes Deepavali; and the Christian community observes Good Friday and Christmas Day. Labour Day, National Day, and New Year's Day are civic holidays observed by all. Vesak Day bridges the Buddhist community, which cuts across ethnic lines.
Two of Singapore's public holidays — Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji — are tentative until officially confirmed by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), as their dates are determined by lunar moon sighting rather than a fixed Gregorian date. Employers, HR teams, and anyone scheduling events around these dates in 2026 should verify the confirmed dates with MUIS once announced, as they can shift by a day or two from provisional estimates.
Long Weekends and Public Holiday Operations in 2026
When a public holiday falls on a Sunday in Singapore, the following Monday is given as a substitute public holiday — ensuring workers always receive their full entitlement. This makes it especially worthwhile to check whether any 2026 holidays fall on weekends, as long weekends can vary significantly in structure from year to year. Chinese New Year, which spans two consecutive public holidays, almost always creates a substantial multi-day break when combined with the adjacent weekend.
Businesses operating on public holidays in Singapore must comply with the Employment Act, which specifies that employees working on statutory holidays are entitled to an extra day's pay or a day off in lieu. Retail, hospitality, transport, and essential services typically remain operational on most public holidays, while government offices and many businesses close fully on National Day, Chinese New Year, and the two Hari Raya holidays.
Plan Ahead with the Printable PDF Calendar
The most reliable way to keep track of Singapore's full holiday schedule in 2026 — including both the statutory public holidays and important cultural observances — is with a dedicated printable PDF calendar. A well-designed Singapore holiday calendar for 2026 should include confirmed MUIS dates for Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji once released, the lunar calendar dates for Vesak Day and Chinese New Year, and key observances like Deepavali's Little India light-up period.
Our downloadable 2026 Singapore holiday calendar is formatted for A4 printing and includes all public holidays, tentative Islamic holiday dates with update notes, and key cultural observances. Pin it in your office, share it with your team, or use it for personal planning — and go into 2026 with every significant date already mapped and ready.