No shortchanging of Lunar New Year revellers in 2027

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year in 2027 will be a public holiday, the government announced on Friday. The news came as the government gazetted the list of public holidays for 2027. "As the second day of the Lunar New Year in 2027 falls on a Sunday, the fourth day of Lunar New Year will be designated as a general holiday in substitution," a government spokesman explained. The first day of the Lunar New Year will be on February 6, a Saturday. With the substitution, residents get a four-day Lunar New Year holiday from February 6 to 9, that is, from Saturday to Tuesday. That is on top of the usual four-day Easter holiday from Good Friday on March 26 to Easter Monday on March 29. That will be followed close behind by another long weekend in early April as the Ching Ming Festival will fall on April 5, Monday. Public holidays in May include Labour Day on May 1, a Saturday, and the Buddha's Birthday on May 13, a Thursday. Long weekends are also in the offing with two public holidays falling on Fridays in October: National Day on October 1 and Chung Yeung Festival on October 8. Christmas Day in 2027 falls on a Saturday, making Monday, December 27, a public holiday. Other public holidays that fall on weekdays include Dragon Boat Festival on June 9, the HKSAR establishment day on July 1 and the day following the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 16. Edited by Tony Sabine