Holidays in Vietnam are the main days that Vietnamese people celebrate local ceremonies and festival. They have some days off from work to get back their family or go on a holiday. Let’s explore those date with below list to understand more about Vietnamese life and enjoy holidays in Vietnam.
1. Christmas
Christmas, or Noel or Xmas, is the day when Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. In Vietnam, although the major religion is Buddhism, Christmas becomes one important event in a year of Vietnamese and it is always warmly welcomed by almost Vietnam’s people.
Christmas penetrated in Vietnam in Vietnam since the 19th century When Vietnam is dominated by French Colonial, especially in Southern Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, Christmas was normally held by the Christian. After the war, the relationship between the Church and the state was not usually smooth; however, when the Innovation policy is adopted since the 1980s, Vietnam was influenced by western ideals so Christmas became more and more popular.
Currently in Vietnam, Christmas is usually held in the evening December 24 and lasted December 25. Phat Diem Cathedral in Ninh Binh Province is known as the spiritual home of the Christian in Vietnam. Each year, there are hundreds of Christians gathering here for Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
In other religions, Christmas is celebrated differently. In general, people in the North do not celebrate Christmas much as people in the South of Vietnam and young people welcome Christmas more than older ones. The decoration in Christmas in Vietnam is quite similar to Western countries. Christians decorates their houses with Christmas trees, and colorful accessories. In big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, shopping centers, restaurants and stores also decorated with sparkling lighting ornaments, and immersed in colorful atmosphere and cheerful melodies of Christmas songs. Santa Claus costumes as well as outfits combined with red and white are hot items which are sold widely in these days. In the evening of December 24, Christian attends a midnight Mass and people who are Christian or not are also welcomed to attend. People are often go out with their family and friends in Christmas Eve. They take photos to record special moments or beautiful views. For Vietnamese children, they believe that Santa Claus is real, and when children wake up in the morning of December 25, they will find their presents from Santa Claus lay under the Christmas tree.
For western tourists, Christmas is not unfamiliar to them; however, Christmas in Vietnam is still a bit different. Therefore, if you come to Vietnam in this time, you may have a chance to experience an unforgettable Christmas holiday with friendly Vietname’s people.
2. Vietnamese Lunar New Year
Vietnamese Lunar New Year, or also called Tết Nguyên Đán or Tet, is the most important holiday and festival in Vietnam. Tet holiday starts from the end of the 12th lunar month to the 1st lunar month of the new year. It is the longest holiday of Vietnam’s people and often last seven days.
During Tet, people delight in many enjoyable social activities such as eating, drinking, meeting or travelling. It is also the time for family reunions, especially people who are studying or working far from home. No matter where they may be or whatever the circumstances, they wish to come back their homeland and meet their loved ones. They will join together to prepare for Tet, such as cook traditional foods such as Chung cake, lean pork paste, and pickled onion. These sacred customs are valuable specific characteristic of Tet.
Generally, people experience three periods in Tet holiday. Tat Nien is the time ending the year according to lunar calendar. Giao Thua (New Year’s Eve) is the moment between the old year and the new year. Finally, it is Tan Nien which is the time when the new year coming.
It can be said that the period before New Year’s Eve is the busiest time of a year. They are busy to visit friends, pay debts, buy new clothes, and clean and decorate their house with colorful flowers or peach blossom trees, kumquat trees and orange trees, which are all typical Tet trees. The clean is important because Vietnamese wants to wash out all unlucky things and welcome lucky and new things in the New Year. People tend to spend a lot of money to prepare Tet, so many shops offer discount in this time to attract customers. People are hustle to shopping and shopping centers are often very crowded in this time of a year.
The altar is where Vietnamese people show their respect to their ancestors. Therefore, in Tet, every family will clean the altar carefully and also display it with new offerings. For instance candies, jams, alcohol, traditional foods, and a tray of five different fruits (Mam Ngu Qua), which is very important and obligatory displayed on the altar.
For the 30th day of the last month according to lunar calendar, all family members will reunite at home and together have the last meal of the old year. New Year’s Eve is the most sacred moment when time moves from the old to the New Year. The right before the New Year’s Eve, Vietnamese will worship the ancestors to pray for health and lucky things. People may also go to local temple to pray, or they go out with friends and watch firework.
During the first three days of the first month in New Year, Vietnamese will spend almost the time to visit relatives, teachers, friends and neighbors. Children are received red envelope containing lucky money from their elders while the elders also received Tet traditional greeting from their children. On the fourth day, people will make a worship to announce to their ancestors the end of Tet, and the offerings will be burned, like votive paper.
Tet is very meaningful to every Vietnamese, therefore, coming to Vietnam in this time, you will have a chance not only to experience enjoyable Tet activities but also learn about the tradition of Vietnam.
3. Western New Year
Vietnamese currently still celebrate the New Year according to lunar calendar, called Lunar New Year which is the most important festival in the country. However, Western New Year, also called Solar New Year according to Gregorian calendar, is more and more important in recent years.
In the past, Vietnamese only held Lunar New Year, but until French Colonial occupied Vietnam and Gregorian calendar was used, Solar New Year was also held and now become the official traditional New Year in Vietnam.
During this holiday, Vietnamese will have some days off which giving they an opportunity to travel with family, go on a picnic or meet friends. People tend to concentrate on shopping malls, parks or tourists destinations for entertainment purpose. Normally, in big cities, main roads and famous tourist attractions will be decorated with sparkling lights and colorful flowers. Many cultural and social activities are also organized to welcome the New Year. In big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang often hold fireworks performances. Thus, Vietnamese citizens, particularly children, very expect to see firework displays in New Year’s Eve.
Additionally, Western New Year is also considered as a sign of Vietnam’s traditional new year, therefore, markets and shopping centers are often more crowded than usual. People also seem to be more enthusiastic and cheerful. Therefore, tourists come to Vietnam in this period are easy tempted by dynamic and exciting atmosphere of people here. In the end, this holiday is not only a chance for tourist for entertaining but also a chance for discovering and exchanging the culture between countries.
4. Vietnam Reunification Day
Vietnam Reunification Day, April 30 on 1975, was the day when South of Vietnam was liberated completely as well as the day of the victory of Vietnamese in Vietnam War. Reunification Day is very important, therefore, Vietnam’s government decided to celebrate this day every year.
Currently, Reunification Day is often organized together with the International Labor Day. Before the Reunification Day, main streets and boulevards in big cities are decorated by colorful lights, banners, and Vietnamese flags. Many unique and artistic programs are also prepared to commemorate the victorious day with the participant of not only Vietnamese artists but also Thailand, Malaysia or Philippines ones.
On Reunification Day, the government permits all Vietnamese people to have days off to celebrate the holiday with friends and family. Vietnamese red flag with golden star is required to display in the front of the door of all houses. The atmosphere in whole country is exciting and bustling with many entertaining activities. Documentary films of the historical victorious day are broadcasted and music shows are mainly performed with victorious songs on television. Many shows are took place outdoor with the participant of numerous local people and tourists. Historical destinations such as Independence Palace, War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City are attracted many people to visit as well as learn about the history.
The Reunification is actually an important holiday of Vietnamese people which is chance for them to travel, hold parties, relax and have good time with loved ones.
5. International Labor Day
International Labor Day, or May Day, is a public holiday in many countries in the world. The purpose of this day is to express the labor solidarity of the working class and working people. In Vietnam as well as other countries in the world, International Labor Day is often held on May 1st every year.
This day was chosen to commemorate the Haymarket affair on 4 May of 1886 in Chicago. When Chicago labor held a labor demonstration to against working eight hours a day, and then the strike widely spread to many other cities. Although the strike was suppressed which causing many people were wounded and dead, it was successful. Currently, there are over 80 countries in the world celebrate Labor Day officially and considered it as a public holiday.
In Vietnam history, International Labor Day was organized in a secret way in the period before August Revolution. The International Labor Day was held publicly the first time in Hanoi in 1936 with the participation of numerous people. After August Revolution 1945, an ordinance was signed by Ho Chi Minh, the first president of Vietnam, regulated that employees and workers to be get paid on Labor Day holiday. From that moment on, Labor Day became one official public holiday of Vietnam.
Labor Day is one of the most important days in Vietnam that it not only shows the solidarity of working class internationally but also expresses the struggle for the victory of freedom, democracy and social progress of Vietnamese people in the past. Nowadays, Vietnam International Labor Day is celebrated together with Vietnam Reunification Day (30 April). In this occasion, there are many cultural and social activities are held that attracting the attendance of not only Vietnamese citizens but also foreign tourists.
6. Vietnam National Day
Vietnam National Day, or also called Independence Day, is a very important and meaningful day of Vietnamese people. Backing to the past, on this day of 1945, thousands of people gathered at Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi to listen Ho Chi Minh, the first great president of Vietnam, to read the Declaration of Independence to state that Vietnam was officially free from the occupation of French’s Colonial and gave birth to one State – Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This moment is an important mark in the history of the nation. From that day forward, Vietnamese people always celebrate the Independence Day on 2nd September every year.
As other official holiday of Vietnam, all citizens are off from work and spend their time with family and friends in the Independence Day. Vietnamese red flags appear everywhere on the nation while roads are exploded with red and yellow banners of celebrations and big posters of Ho Chi Minh in 1945. Many activities are organized in this day, for instance commemorative programs, art performance, fireworks displays, and marches on the street. These activities show the happiness, excitement and pride on the traditional patriotism and glorious victory in the war of Vietnamese people. Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, is an attractive destination in these days when people come here to ponder over the historical event taking place years ago. This day is really special day of Vietnam.
7. Hung King Festival
Hung King Festival is a national festival that is important for Vietnamese people. This festival is often organized from 8th March to 11st March (10th day is the major day) in lunar calendar in order to commemorate the merits of Hung Kings in the build of the country. Annually, the festival is held solemnly with the participation of hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country and overseas people living abroad.
As the same as other national public holiday, such as traditional Tet, during Hung Kings Festival, Vietnamese people are off from their businesses and enjoy the holiday. Hung Temple in Phu Tho, where Hung King Festival is held, is very crowded in this time when a lot of people gathering here to join in cultural activities of commemorating Hung Kings.
The ceremony is celebrated solemnly as a national ceremony. The offering for sacrifice consists of “the sacrifice of three animals” (pig, goat and cow), Chung cakes (square sticky rice cake), Giay cakes (round sticky rice cake) and multi-colored steamed sticky rice. Musical instrument is ancient bronze drum. After a while of drumbeat, a master will direct dignitaries and elders of villages around Hung King Temple to sacrifice. Lastly, local people, tourists and pilgrims enter temples to show the commemoration to Hung Kings.
The section of festival is very exciting with the contest of lavish palanquin procession of surrounding villages. Besides, it also includes many other cultural activities and traditional performances of song and dance, games and martial arts competitions such as such as bronze drum beating, lion dance, contests of Banh Chung wrapping and pounding, and camping festival, and Xoan Village Singing Festival.
The worshipping ritual of the Hung Kings which has been preserved for thousands of years is a major part of Vietnamese people’s spiritual lives. Because it is not only an important cultural characteristic but also shows the national solidarity.
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