Aranya Doloi
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Long weekends are a blessing; they’re a perfect opportunity to escape from the everyday hustle-bustle and actually indulge in some me-time. And there are so many long weekends in the upcoming year that the traveller and the reader and the lazy person in us are just loving it. You would be glad to know that the year 2020 has as many as 14 long weekends.
Here is a preview of what the New Year weekends have in store for you, so that you can start planning now.
February 21- 23 (3 days)
Maha Shivratri 2020 is on February 21 which is a Friday. Most Indian states consider Maha Shivratri a religious holiday which means you can club it with February 22 and 23, and enjoy three days off.
March 7- 10 (4 days)
Holi is on March 10 which is a Tuesday. So if you can manage to take a day off on March 9 (Monday), you get a four-day long weekend March 7 onwards. Mark your calendars and apply for the leave right away!
April 2- 6 (5 days)
Plan a bit for April in advance and you’ll get your escape to that perfect 5-day long weekend trip of 2020. April 2 (Thursday) is Ram Navami– a holiday in many Indian states and April 6 (Monday) is Mahavir Jayanti, a government holiday in India. If you can manage to take a day-off on April 3 (Friday), you have whole 5 days to yourself.
April 10- 12 (3 days)
April 4 is Good Friday- a national holiday, and with the following Saturday and Sunday, you have 3 whole days to take a break from your hectic schedule.
May 1- 3 (3 days)
Most of us have a holiday for the occasion of Labour Day which in 2020 falls on a Friday. So yet again, you have another Friday-Sunday chutti to invest some time on yourself.
May 7- 10 (4 days)
Buddha Purnima in 2020 will be marked on 7th May (Thursday) which is a holiday in most parts of India. If you can manage to pull out of work on May 8, you’ll get a 4-day long weekend to just laze around. So start planning now!
May 23- 25 (3 days)
May seems to be the best month of 2020; the third long weekend of the month starts from May 23 (Saturday) and goes up till May 25 (Monday), which is Eid- a national holiday. Plan something fun for at least one of the long weekends of May, or else you’ll regret big time later.
June 20- 23 (4 days)
Only a handful will have the benefit of this long weekend as only a few parts of India observe a holiday during Rath Yatra which is on June 23 (Tuesday). These lucky ones can take a day off on June 22 (Monday), and enjoy the festival.
August 1- 3 (3 days)
Raksha Bandhan falls on August 3 (Monday), which many people observe as a holiday. Add that to the previous Saturday and Sunday, and you get a 3-day long weekend.
August 29- 31 (3 days)
People in South India can have blast during Onam 2020 as a three-day long holiday is awaiting them. The popular festival falls on August 31 (Monday), and with the previous weekend, it’s the perfect time to indulge in family time.
October 2-4 (3 days)
Gandhi Jayanti- a national holiday falls on a Friday in 2020, and with the following Saturday and Sunday, you have another 3-day long weekend, yet again.
October 29- November 1 (4 days)
Id-e-Milad is a holiday in most parts of India and it’s likely to be on November 29 (Thursday) in 2020. Manage a day off on November 30 (Friday) and you get the much-needed break to recover from all the binge-eating during Id.
November 28- 30 (3 days)
November 30 (Monday) is Guru Nanak Gurpurab– a holiday in many parts of India. Club the previous Saturday and Sunday and you have enough time to enjoy the onset of winter from the cosy corners of your home.
December 25- 27 (3 days)
Christmas 2020 is bringing with it a full-blast party mode. To begin with, it’s on a Friday which also means you have the next two days to bounce back from all the hangover.
