As we move into another month of this year, you may feel like its time to take a mini break. March offers a number of long weekends, perfect for these quick getaways.

With about 12 long weekends on the horizon, here’s a list of holidays to watch out for in order to plan your next mini-travel destination.

March 2024:
March offers three long weekends with festivals like Mahashivratri, Holi, and Easter in play.

1. March 8-11: Mahashivratri falls on Friday, followed by the weekend. Taking a day off on Monday, March 11, can extend your weekend to four days.

2. March 23-25: Holi on Monday, March 25, creates a long weekend. Taking a day off on either Friday, March 22, or Tuesday, March 26, or both, can turn this into a five-day break.

3. March 29-31: Good Friday on March 29, followed by the weekend and Easter on Monday, March 31, provides another opportunity for a long weekend. Taking leave on Thursday, March 28, and/or Tuesday, April 1, can extend this break to five days.

Meanwhile here are the other long weekends in the remaining months of 2024.

May 2024:

May 23-26: Buddha Purnima on Thursday, May 23, followed by the weekend, offers a chance for a long weekend. Taking leave on Friday, May 24, can turn this into a four-day break.

June 2024:

June 15-17: Bakri Id on Monday, June 17, creates a long weekend.

August 2024:

• August 15-19: Independence Day and Parsi New Year on Thursday, August 15, followed by the weekend and Raksha Bandhan on Monday, August 19, provide a five-day break. Taking leave on Friday, August 16, can extend this to a five-day vacation.
• August 24-27: Janmashthami on Monday, August 26, creates a long weekend. Taking leave on Tuesday, August 27, can turn this into a four-day break.

September 2024:

• September 5-8: Onam on Thursday, September 5, followed by Ganesh Chaturthi on September 7 and the weekend, offers a long weekend. Taking leave on Friday, September 6, can extend this break to four days.
• September 14-16: Eid Milad Un Nabi on Monday, September 16, creates a long weekend.

October 2024:

October 11-13: Maha Navmi on Friday, October 11, followed by Dussehra on Saturday, October 12, and the weekend, offers a long weekend. Taking leave on Thursday, October 10, or Monday, October 14, can extend this break to five days.

November 2024:

November 1-3: Diwali on Friday, November 1, followed by Bhai Dooj on Sunday, November 3, creates a long weekend.
November 15-17: Guru Nanak Jayanti falls on Saturday, November 16, providing a long weekend.

With these long weekends in mind, you can now plan your mini-travel destinations for 2024. Start marking your calendars and get ready to explore new places!