Influenced by Chinese culture, the Vietnamese lunar calendar is basically the same as the Chinese lunar calendar. Many traditional festivals in both countries have similar customs and dates.
Vietnam is one of the countries with the least number of holidays in the world. Vietnamese people only have 10 days off for holidays each year.
(Updated on September 25th)
Name |
Date in 2018 (and other years) |
Details |
New Year’s Day |
January 1st |
An international holiday observed on the first day of the Gregorian calendar. |
Vietnamese New Year |
February 15th – 20th (end of January or early February) |
It is the most important traditional holiday in Vietnam. The date is observed according to the Vietnamese lunar calendar and it falls on the same day as the Chinese Spring Festival in the Gregorian calendar. During this holiday, streets are busy with dancing, parades, and other celebratory activities. Train tickets are very popular around the Vietnamese New Year holiday. It is advisable to book tickets as early as possible if you plan to travel by train during this time. |
Hung Kings Commemoration Day |
April 25th (the 10th day of the third lunar month) |
Hung Kings Commemoration Day became a public holiday in 2007 to commemorate the Vietnamese people’s ancestors and the founders of Vietnam, the Hung Kings. Vietnamese people take a day off on this day. Hung Kings Commemoration Day is a major holiday for Vietnamese people. This holiday is observed on the 10th day of the third lunar month, which usually falls in April of the Gregorian calendar. |
Reunification Day |
April 30th |
Reunification Day is an official holiday. It is observed to commemorate the Vietnamese victory in the liberation of South Vietnam and Saigon on April 30th, 1975. |
Labor Day |
May 1st |
International holiday |
National Day |
September 2nd |
Vietnam’s National Day is observed on September 2nd every year. It is one of the most important holidays in the country. On September 2nd, 1945, the Republic of Vietnam declared independence, marking the end of the French colonial rule as well as the end of the feudal society in Vietnam. |
The Mid-Autumn Festival |
September 24th (August 15th in the lunar calendar) |
The Mid-Autumn Festival is an important traditional holiday in Vietnam. It is celebrated on the same day as in China. The date usually falls in late September or at the beginning of October in the Gregorian calendar. |
There are four ways of buying Vietnamese train tickets.
There are two trains running between China and Russia including Trans-Mongolian Railway.
International train tickets for the Trans-Siberian can be bought in China, Mongolia and Russia.