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2023 - a year of long weekends

31 December 2022 09:41 am - 8     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The year 2023 is going to be a year of long weekends, as most of the public and mercantile holidays have fallen on Fridays and Mondays.

There will be nine long weekends in the year starting from the month of January where Duruthu Poya falls on Friday, January 6, and Good Friday on April 7.

The following week will be a four-day weekend as the Sinhala New year has fallen on Thursday and Friday. May Day will fall on a Monday, while Vesak Poya holidays will follow on Friday May 5.

There will be a four-day weekend on September 28 and 29 with Prophet Mohammed’s birthday and Binara Full Moon Poya will fall on these dates.

Another four-day weekend will fall in December as Christmas will be on Monday, December 25 and Uduwap Poya on Tuesday December 26.

Some of the public holidays such as Independence Day, Nawam Full Moon Poya day, Maha Sivarathri, Ramadan, Poson Poya, Wap Full Moon Poya, Deepawali and Ill Full Moon Poya Day fall on Saturdays and Sundays. (Yohan Perera)


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  Comments - 8

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  • anura nanayakkara Saturday, 31 December 2022 11:59 AM

    Yes, we can enjoy all long week ends ,without working and our economy will go down further and then we can hold all elections to get a new govt, thinking that the new selected party will solve all the current problems. This is Sri Lankan mentality during last 72 yrs. too.

    Sokrates Saturday, 31 December 2022 12:11 PM

    Apart from Sri Lanka, there is probably no country where public holidays that fall on a Saturday or Sunday are "celebrated" on Mondays. The high number of public holidays are counterproductive for the economy and must be reduced as a matter of urgency. In addition to Independence Day, January 1st and May 1st, 2 special days for each religious community should be public holidays, making a total of 11 public holidays per year. If a public holiday falls on a weekend, that's bad luck for employees.

    Lazarz Damian Saturday, 31 December 2022 02:24 PM

    sri lanka should reduce unnecessary festival and religious holidays, investors can't afford this kind of holidays, such a lazy country

    Cherath Saturday, 31 December 2022 03:49 PM

    For a country that's so small in its geographical size and population, Sri Lanka is certainly not the envy of the World for having one of the biggest cabinets in the world and for the most number of public holidays. They are merely indicators of slackness, lethargy and wasteful bureaucracy.

    Larry de Silva Saturday, 31 December 2022 06:05 PM

    Reply to Socrates and others, you are not quite right on your assertions. In Australia, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Anzac Day are all celebrated on the next week days if they fall on weekends. Workers deserve the breaks as it’s not always about management getting blood from a stone. Long may it last

    Cholmondeley Pinto Saturday, 31 December 2022 08:21 PM

    Sri lanka should declare 365 days of holidays in the year and hope to live loans from foreign countries.

    Winfield Saturday, 31 December 2022 10:39 PM

    As a start , When a statutory holiday falls on a weekend, no need for additional holidays. / Two days for Vesak. No further Poya holidays. / Banks, Public and Mercantile Holidays to be the same / Schools can have their own Holiday calendar.

    Jude Sunday, 01 January 2023 04:03 AM

    Long weekend or not, lankans working only 2-3 hours a day!! And get Paid for 8 hours a day!! Lucky Ducky!!


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