Vietnam Holidays And Festivals

Whether they’re burning incense for souls of the deceased, reenacting the military prowess of historic heroes and heroines, praying to spirits on high, or simply embracing life and one another, the Vietnamese know how to celebrate. Festivals are marked by thrilling, electric colors and intense dress that reflects a joyous national spirit. Celebrations include the traditional—dragon dances, wrestling, cock fights, and elephant races—as well contemporary offerings like performance art. Many festivals are rooted in history and tradition, but today, new ones seem to be popping up left and right as the Vietnamese government strives to promote tourism and cultural awareness.

This chart lists dates for 2007 (unless otherwise specified); since many Vietnamese holidays are based on the lunar calendar (see Lunar Calendar), the dates will change in following years. Most dates aren’t set in stone, and may be subject to change.

Date	Name And Location	Description
Jan. 1	New Year’s Day	International holiday.
Feb. 18-21	T\t Nguy[n Festival, everywhere	By far the most famous holiday of the year, T\t is a celebration of the Lunar New Year. Festivities include dancing, song, and plenty of deliciously prepared foods. Celebrations are everywhere (see below).
Feb. 21-Apr. 19	Nui Ba (Den) Mountain Festival, Tñy Ninh Province	Pilgrims travel to a pagoda on Nui Mountain to remember the virtue of a devout nun, Den, from the village.
Feb. 23-Apr. 4	H™£ng (Perfume) Pagoda Festival, Hà Tñy Province (near Hà Nÿi)	The longest festival in Vietnam, this famous celebration at the Perfume Pagoda provides the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture and stunning landscape and seek out good luck in the process.
Mar. 19-22	Dong Nhan Festival, Hà Nÿi	Young women dance their praise for the Tr™ng sisters, leaders of the earliest and most renowned peasant revolt.
Mar. 28-Apr. 1	Chu Dong Tu Temple Festival, near Hà Nÿi	Dances and prayers are offered to one of the Four Immortal Heroes of the country, Chu Dong Tu, who influenced agricultural practices and trade.
Apr. 18-26	Phu Giay Temple Festival, Nam ¢nh Province	Cock fights, chess matches, and wrestling are in abundance at this festival honoring Queen Lieu Hanh.
Apr. 21-23	Th<y Pagoda Festival, Hà Tñy Province (near Hà Nÿi)	Water puppet master and Buddhist monk Tu Hoa Danh is the focus of festivities.
Apr. 22	Tñy Ph™£ng Pagoda Festival, Hà Tñy Province (near Hà Nÿi)	The Tñy Ph™£ng Pagoda, dedicated to the Buddha himself, bestows good luck during this holiday.
Apr. 24-26	Truong Yen Festival, Ninh Bình Province	Color and theatrical renditions abound at this festival honoring early rulers set in the ancient capital of Hoa L™.
Apr. 24-May 6	Elephant Race Festival, k L k Province	Beware of stray contestants in the races, which constitute the largest festival in the central highlands. Unreal.
Apr. 29	Do Tem Festival, B c Ninh Province	This extravagant festival and procession commemorate the eight kings of the L• Dynasty.
May 6-10	Ba-Po Nagar Temple Festival, Khánh Hòa Province	Rice and its cultivating father, Po Nagar, are the object of praise at this yearly celebration.
Apr. 30	Saigon Liberation Day, everywhere	As the name suggests, this is a national holiday honoring the freeing of Saigon from the southern army.
May 1	Labor Day	Another international holiday you may know.
mid-June, 2008	Hu\ Festival, Hu\	Held every 2 years, this festival of the arts features performers and artists from all over the country and world.
June 27-30	Chem Temple Festival, Hà Nÿi	Drums beat and processions flow through the streets and waters of the county’s capital in tribute to the Hùng kings and their defeat of early invaders.
July 24-Aug. 3 (officially Aug. 1)	Quán Lån Communal House Festival, Quán Lån Island	On the opening day of ceremonies honoring the defeat of the Mongols in the 13th century, inhabitants are not allowed to leave the island. Visitors are welcome to watch the rowing contests and battle reenactments.
late July	à N{ng Cultural Festival, à N{ng	This week-long festival designed to promote tourism features boat performances, a variety of other artistically inclined celebrations, and games.
late July-early Aug.	Hÿi An Summer Festival, Hÿi An	Designed to awaken tourists to the historical and cultural wealth of the World Heritage Site, the festival features a range of performances, games, and much more.
Aug. 23	Nhuong Ban Festival, Hà Tænh	Honors Lady Hoang Can, imperial concubine of 14th-century ruler King Tr<n Tron. Burn incense for the seductress.
Sept. 7	T\t Tr™ng Nguy[n Festival, pagodas the country over	Families cook feasts and pray for the forgiveness of the souls of the deceased who strayed during their lives.
Aug. 30	Long Chu Festival, Hÿi An and surrounding villages	The long chu (dragon boat) is paraded through town and pushed out to sea, taking with it the threat of harmful insects and plagues.
Sept. 2	National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam	This national holiday commemorates the birth of the independent nation of Vietnam as declared by H· Chí Minh.
Sept. 17-18	· S£n Buffalo Fighting Festival, H=i Phòng	It’s bullfighting without the matador, and with buffaloes. Thousands gather to catch the action and savor the meat during this high-energy festival.
Sept. 25	Mid-Autumn Festival, everywhere	The whole country pauses to delight in pastries, drum-beats, and children’s dances during this national holiday.
Sept. 24-29	Kiep Bac Temple Festival, H=i D™£ng Province	The military exploits of the famous general Tr<n H™ng åo are recalled and reenacted during this traditional festival.
Oct. 8-20	Kate Festival, Ninh ThuÆn and Bình ThuÆn Provinces	Chàm people from all around the southern region of the country gather at several famous towers and temples to celebrate their unique history during this simple holiday.
Oct. 17-18	Don Ta Festival, Bay Nui (An Giang)	Oxracing is what it’s all about at this traditional Khmer festival.
Oct. 23-25	Keo Pagoda Festival, Thái Bình Province	Traditional religious rituals and performances are dedicated to Duong Lo, a famous Buddhist luminary.

T\T

Spring fever is contagious during the advent of the Lunar New Year when Vietnam celebrates its most important yearly festival: T\t. Offically called T\t Nguyˆn án (“Feast of the First Morning”), this festival’s traditions draw heavily on those of the Chinese New Year. Life outside of family, friends, and food goes on hold during this four-day national holiday (which actually lasts much longer in many places). Traditional dishes differ from region to region, but always involve bánh ch™ng (pork and rice cakes), and are always masterfully prepared in abundance. The colorful, artistic presentations are as appealing as the food is satisfying.

If you’re flying through the country, pause in each place to observe the different traditions. What you witness and experience depends on where you are, as each village and community treats the holiday differently. Some villages hold more official and well-established celebrations than others. In Hà Nÿi, you can duck the flames of the dancing DThng Long Fire Dragon, the civic symbol, on the fifth day of the lunar month. In C¸a Lò, just outside the capital, the smell of rice from cooking competitions and the sounds of opera waft through the air for 10 festive days. If you’re in the mood for human chess, head to the Va Temple in the Hà Tây Province; the less-tame Sinh Wrestling Festival outside of Hu\ begins a few days after T\t does and pulsates with youthful energy, as does the Lieu Doi Wrestling Festival in Ha Nam province in the north. Finally, if you’d like to purchase materials for your own personal holiday shrine, the Gia Lac Spring Fair in Hu\ is well-timed with the festivities.