SINGAPORE - Only four long weekends are expected in 2019, the same as this year and in 2013 and 2014.

This is despite there being two holidays on a Friday and three on a Sunday, as National Day and Hari Raya Haji fall on the same weekend.

While the low figure does not measure up to the bumper crop of seven long weekends last year, there are some ways you can extend your weekends.

Here's how you can maximise the 11 gazetted public holidays next year.

The 11 public holidays in 2019

Of the 11 public holidays next year, only two fall on a Friday, while three fall on a Sunday.

The Friday holidays are Good Friday on April 19 and National Day on Aug 9.

The Sunday holidays are Vesak Day on May 19, Hari Raya Haji on Aug 11 and Deepavali on Oct 27.

For the holidays that fall on a Sunday, the following Monday will be a public holiday.

There is at least one holiday in every month except for March, July, September and November, so you could consider taking leave in those periods to get a break.

February, May and August have two holidays each.

How to extend your weekends

One way to enjoy more long weekends is to take leave on Monday for the Tuesday public holidays, earning yourself long weekends.

There are only two days you can do so for next year: Dec 31, 2018, the Monday which is a day before New Year's Day on Jan 1, 2019, and Feb 4, which is the Monday before the first day of Chinese New Year.

That would give you a five-day extra-long weekend for Chinese New Year.

Alternatively, you could take two days off on Thursdays and Fridays for any of the four holidays that fall on a Wednesday to get a five-day-long weekend and squeeze in a short trip.

By the numbers

2019 is a bad year for holidays, with only four long weekends. This low number is on a par with 2013, 2014 and 2018.

There were five long weekends in 2011 and 2012, six in 2016, and seven in 2017.