Vietnam is full of passionate people who love to celebrate the future and honor traditions. Many of the country’s biggest annual festivals revolve around the lunar calendar. Here’s a look at some of of the best upcoming events in Vietnam for 2021.
Festivals, Holidays and Celebrations in Vietnam
Tet traditionally happens around late January into February. Being the biggest holiday in Vietnam, it’s typically a slower, quieter time in cities (with some stores closed), where people will migrate to their rural hometowns. Other festivals might be more popular and interactive with foreigners, such as the Hoi An Lantern Festival.
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Vietnam’s Top Festivals, Holidays and Celebrations
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Guide to Annual Events in Vietnam
Vietnam is a melting pot of cultures, making it a nation filled with vibrant traditions and celebrations. Even though there’s plenty to see and do in Vietnam during any time of year, pairing a trip with a local event is a fantastic way to enhance your experiences even more.
Many of the country’s festivals and cultural events are based around the Lunar calendar, so they tend to fall during specific times of the year rather than certain dates.
Festivals
Festivals in Vietnam are great opportunities for getting a close and personal look at the vibrant customs, traditions, and arts. This kind of event is also ideal for learning about the myths and lore of Vietnam and the many deities that have been a part of their culture for centuries. For the most part, festivals are very jubilant and include many different foods, music, treats, and dancing.
Holidays
Most public holidays in Vietnam are related to New Year celebrations or have ties to a part of the country’s political history. National Day occurs each year on September 2nd and is remembered as the day President Ho Chi Minh declared independence in Hanoi in 1945. Holidays are celebrated with lots of in-home cleaning, cooking, and parades.
The eight national holidays that are observed annually include:
- New Year’s Day
- Vietnamese New Year’s Eve
- Lunar New Year
- Tet Holiday
- Hung Kings Temple Festival
- Reunification Day
- Labor Day
- National Day
Big Events by time of year
Most of the these unique events and annual festivals change their yearly dates based on the Lunar Calendar. So get a good understanding of the current year’s scheduling by checking the Lunar dates.
- Buon Don Elephant Races – third month of the Lunar Calendar, March, Buon Don District’s Don Village
- Perfume Festival – fifteenth day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, mid February-early March, Hương Sơn, Mỹ Đức, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Phu Giay Festival – first to the tenth day of the third lunar month, Vu Ban District’s Nam Dinh Province, 55 miles east of Hanoi
- Tet Festival – late January and early February, throughout Vietnam
- Buddha’s Birthday – 15th day of the fourth month in the Lunar Calendar, between April and June
- Mid-Autumn Festival – 15th day of the 8th lunar month, from late September or early October
- Hue Festival – April, Hue City
- Hung King Temple Festival – 8th until the 11th day of the third Lunar month
- Lim Festival – 12th to the 13th day of the first lunar month
- Wandering Souls Day – 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar
- Hoi An Lantern Festival – every 14th day of the lunar month, Hoi An
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