Festivals & Holidays In Vietnam

The most important celebration is Tết, or the Lunar New Year, which takes place between the end of January and the beginning of March. The country is in the thick of preparations in the run-up to Tết. Motorcyclists hustle to deliver potted mandarin trees and blooming bushes, which are customary house decorations. People are a little anxious, and elbows are growing a little sharper, especially in big cities where traffic is nearly lethal. The pace then begins to calm a few days before Tết, as thousands of city inhabitants depart for their home cities in the regions. Finally, on the first day of the new year, there is a drastic change: the streets are silent, nearly deserted. For three days, almost all stores and eateries are closed (except for a few that mainly receive foreign visitors; hotels operate as usual).

In large cities, streets are lit up and public festivals are held, attracting thousands of people. However, for the Vietnamese, the Tết is mostly a private and family festival. On the eve of the New Year, families gather to share good wishes (from the young to the old) and “good luck money” gifts (from the older to the younger). On the first three days of the year, the hours of the day are allocated to visits: to families on the first day, to closest friends and key coworkers on the second day, and to everyone else on the third day. Many people visit the pagodas as well. People drink and play (male) or chat, play games, sing karaoke, and eat traditional snacks and sweets in the evening (women and children).

Visiting Vietnam during the Tết offers advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages: Traffic is congested shortly before the holidays as many Vietnamese return to their hometowns; hotels are busy, particularly in small towns; and the selection of shops and restaurants is restricted in the early days of the New Year (some places are closed for up to two weeks). Pagodas are especially busy, museums and historical sites that are still open are free, and the foreign-oriented travel business, complete with backpacker buses and resort hotels, is expanding as usual. Visitors may also be welcomed to the celebrations, especially if they have local contacts or establish Vietnamese friends during their stay. If you are visiting Taiwan, it is best to find a place to stay at least two days before the New Year and avoid moving for a few days.

Less notable holidays include May 1st, the traditional Socialist Labour Day, September 2nd, the Vietnamese National Day, King Hung’s Lunar Calendar Day on March 10th, which celebrates former monarchs, and April 30th, Reunification Day, which commemorates the fall of Saigon in 1975. Trains and flights are frequently packed at this time, and it is difficult to obtain lodging on the beach or downtown Dalat. It is best to plan ahead of time.