We are at the fag end of another year. With 2019 round the corner, one important task on the new year eve is to replace old calendars with newer ones for the next year. It's natural for one to spend the next 30 minutes studying various days and dates—birthdays, anniversaries... and long weekends to plan those quick getaways. This year we decided to be at your service, breaking down the month-wise long weekends (you can thank us later!).
Here is the list:
January: The first holiday of the first month comes with Makar Sankranti/Pongal on January 14, Monday, promising a long weekend during January 12-14.
February: The shortest month of the year has little to offer in terms of holidays. However, the last day of the month, February 28, Thursday, is celebrated as Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti, followed by Maha Shivaratri on March 4. February 28-March 4 is a good stretch to plan a weekend getaway, provided your boss is cool enough to buy your sick-leave excuse on March 1 (Friday).
March: No, it is not just Shiva Ratri. The best of March is yet to come. Holi will be celebrated on March 21, Thursday. With a leave on March 22, Friday, you could plan a four-day weekend, from March 21 to March 24.
April: In 2019, the month to take off for a short summer vacation will not cost much of your leaves. The mid-month, starting April 13 to April 21, is a vacationer's joy in all terms. April 13 is a Saturday, followed by Vishu, Kerala's new year festival on Monday April 15. April 17, Wednesday, is Mahavir Jayanti, a public holiday in most places in India. The week also coincides with the Holy week for Christians. Maundy Thursday falls on April18, followed by Good Friday on April 19 and Easter on April 21. A long week holiday can be sealed with some meticulous planning.
May: The month of May brings one long weekend but at the cost of one leave. Guru Rabindranath Jayanti falls on May 9, Thursday. A leave on Friday, May 10, will get you a long weekend till Sunday, May 12.
June and July: The middle-year will be the most boring with two back-to-back months of no long weekends.
August: The eighth month of the year is a saviour after two consecutive months of no escapade. Three days of leave on August 13, 14 and 16, and it's a long holiday from Saturday, August 10 to August 18. This is, thanks to Bakrid on August 12 (Monday), Raksha Bandhan and Independence Day that fall on August 15. August 10-11 and August 17-18 are weekends. However, there's a dampener for folks in Kerala as Bakrid might fall on Sunday, August 11 for them, while the rest of India celebrates it a day later.
September: The month begins with Ganesh Chaturthi falling on September 2, Monday. So you know what to do from August 31 to September 2. But September surprises do not end there. For individuals who work in Kerala, a whole week of holidays is almost promised, thanks to Onam beginning on September 10 and Sree Narayana Guru Jayanti on September 13, Friday. September 10, Tuesday, is Muharram, another public holiday. This means that barring September 9, Monday, the rest of the week is a holiday for folks in Kerala!
However, for the rest of the country, the long weekend ends with Tuesday, September 10.
October: October comes with the promise of puja holidays and Diwali. You can safely plan a long weekend trip from Saturday, October 5 till Tuesday, October 8, the day of Durga Puja/Dusshera. The next safest option, especially for north Indian population, is between October 26, Saturday, and October 29, Tuesday, because of Diwali (October 28, Monday) and Bhai Dooj (October 29, Tuesday). Holidayers from the rest of the country, however, should minus Bhai Dooj holiday from their long weekend—still leaving them with three days of extended weekend.
November: Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on November 12, Tuesday. You may want to plan a long weekend from November 9, Saturday to November 12, at the cost of another day of leave.
December: The last month of the year is a spoiler in terms of long weekends. But then, it comes with Christmas holidays and the last week of the year!
