Public holidays in Vietnam
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Public holidays
Public holidays in Vietnam are days when workers get the day off work. Prior to 2007, Vietnamese workers observed 8 days of public holiday a year, among the lowest in the region. On 28 March 2007 the government added the traditional holiday commemorating the mythical Hùng kings to its list of public holidays,[1] increasing the number of days to 10. As in most other nations, if a holiday falls during the weekend, it is observed on the following Monday.
| Date | English Name | Local Name | Length (days) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | Tết dương lịch | 1 | International public holiday |
| From last day of the last lunar month to 5th day of the first lunar month | Vietnamese New Year (Tet) | Tết Nguyên Đán | 5 | Lunar New Year Largest and most important holiday of the year, occurring around late January to early February |
| 10th day of the 3rd lunar month | Hung Kings Commemorations | Giỗ tổ Hùng Vương | 1 | Commemoration of the ruling of ancient Hung Kings (2879 BC–258 BC), according to Vietnam's legend and history New holiday since 2007, occurring around April (adopted by the government on March 28, 2007[1]) |
| April 30 | Day of Southern Liberation and National Reunification | Ngày Giải phóng miền Nam, Thống nhất Đất nước | 1 | Liberation of Saigon and reunification of Vietnam in 1975 after the Vietnam War |
| May 1 | International Workers' Day | Ngày Quốc tế lao động | 1 | Also known as "Labor Day" International public holiday in many former and current communist and socialist countries |
| September 2 (with an adjacent date) | National Day | Quốc khánh | 2 | On 2nd September 1945, President Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam's independence from France's and Japan's occupation, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam |
Other holidays and festivals
There are also many other holidays and festivals that are held in Vietnam either nationally or locally. These holidays and festivals do not involve day-off but are widely observed and celebrated across the country.
Gregorian calendar
| Date | English name | Local name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 9 | Vietnamese Students' Day | Ngày Học sinh - Sinh viên Việt Nam | Commemorating the death of Trần Văn Ơn in 1950. Adopted by the National Students' Congress in 1950 Traditional day of Vietnamese Students' Association Honors students |
| February 3 | Communist Party of Vietnam Foundation Anniversary | Ngày thành lập Đảng | Commemorating the foundation of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1930 |
| February 27 | Vietnamese Physicians' Day | Ngày Thầy thuốc Việt Nam | On that day in 1955, Ho Chi Minh delivered his address on the occasion of Medical Staff Conference. Adopted by the Council of Ministers in 1985 Honors physicians, doctors and people working in the medical industry |
| March 8 | International Women's Day | Ngày Quốc tế Phụ nữ | The day of common struggle of working women all over the world is to show the will to fight of women all over the world to fight for national independence, democracy, peace and social progress; for the welfare of women and children Also commemorating the uprising of Trưng Sisters (AD 40), the first two national heroines |
| April 21 | Vietnam Book Day[3] | Ngày Sách Việt Nam | Encouraging and develop reading movements in the community; Raising awareness of the people about the great significance and importance of reading to the development of knowledge, skills and development of thinking, educating and training human personality Adopted by the Government in 2014 Also commemorating the publication of Ho Chi Minh's Đường kách mệnh in 1927 |
| May 7 | Dien Bien Phu Victory Day | Ngày Chiến thắng Điện Biện Phủ | Battle of Dien Bien Phu's victory |
| May 19 | President Ho Chi Minh's Birthday | Ngày sinh Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh | The birth of Ho Chi Minh in 1890 |
| June 1 | International Children's Day | Ngày Quốc tế Thiếu nhi | |
| June 28 | Vietnamese Family Day | Ngày Gia đình Việt Nam | |
| July 27 | Remembrance Day (Day for Martyrs and Wounded Soldiers or Vietnamese War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day) | Ngày Thương binh Liệt sĩ | |
| August 19 | August Revolution Commemoration Day | Ngày Cách mạng Tháng 8 | |
| October 10 | Capital Liberation Day | Ngày Giải phóng Thủ đô | |
| October 13 | Vietnamese Entrepreneur's Day | Ngày Doanh nhân Việt Nam | |
| October 20 | Vietnamese Women's Day | Ngày Phụ nữ Việt Nam | Commemorating the foundation of Vietnamese Women's Association in 1930 Honors women and mothers |
| November 7 | October Revolution Day | Ngày Cách mạng Tháng Mười | |
| November 20 | Vietnamese Teacher's Day | Ngày Nhà giáo Việt Nam | |
| December 22 | National Defence Day (People's Army of Viet Nam Foundation Anniversary) | Ngày hội quốc phòng toàn dân (ngày thành lập Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam) | Commemorating the foundation of the People's Army of Vietnam in 1944 Honoring those who serves in the military |
| December 25 | Christmas | Lễ Giáng Sinh (Noel) | Commemorating the nativity of Jesus Christ Christian holiday |
Lunar Chinese calendar
| Date (lunar) | English name | Local name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 15 | Lantern Festival | Tết Nguyên Tiêu Tết Thượng Nguyên (Rằm tháng giêng) |
Full moon of the 1st month of the year. Poets' Day Buddhist festival |
| Not fixed, but always Sunday in March or April |
Easter | Lễ Phục Sinh | Commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ Christian festival |
| March 3 | Cold Food Festival | Tết Hàn thực | Commemorating the death of the Jin nobleman Jie Zitui in the 7th century BC under the Zhou dynasty in China |
| April 15 | Buddha's Birthday | Lễ Phật Đản Lễ Vesak |
Birthday of Gautama Buddha (born in 563 BC or 480 BC in Lumbini) - the founder of Buddhism Formerly held on April 8 (in Chinese calendar) until 1959. Buddhist festival |
| May 5 | Dragon Boat Festival | Tết Đoan ngọ | The day the sun is closest to the Earth - overlapping with the Summer solstice Also called the festival of eliminating insects and pests to protect the farms |
| July 15 | Ghost Festival | Lễ Vu Lan (Rằm tháng bảy) |
Full moon of the 7th month of the year Commemorating ghosts and spirits of the deceased ancestors Paying tribute and respect to father and mother Buddhist festival |
| August 15 | Mid-Autumn Festival | Tết Trung thu (Rằm tháng tám) |
Also called Children's Festival Full moon of the 8th month of the year Celebrating a successful harvest |
| December 23 | Kitchen God Festival | Lễ cúng Ông Táo về trời | Departure of Kitchen God from Earth to Heaven to meet the Jade Emperor, marking the end of the year |
References
- ^ a b Thông qua phương án xây nhà Quốc hội và nghỉ ngày giỗ Tổ
- ^ Article 115 Labour Code, 2012 (Vietnamese)
- ^ VNA (February 25, 2014). "April 21 to be Vietnam Book Day". Vietnam Plus. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
